Podcasts about foreign ministry

Katie is joined by Eli Clifton, senior advisor at the Quincy Institute and investigative journalist at large at Responsible Statecraft. Eli talks about what the hell Trump is doing in the Middle East and what Eli learned as one of the last analysts from a US think tank to visit Iran and speak with Foreign Ministry officials nuclear negotiators. But first, Katie talks to Palestinian Youth Movement organizer Aisha Nizar about the Mask Off Maersk campaign's latest victory and to Ash Bohrer a leader of JVP Chicago and assistant Professor of Gender and Peace Studies at University of Notre Dame talks about why they're on a hunger strike. **Please support The Katie Halper Show ** For bonus content, exclusive interviews, to support independent media & to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon - / thekatiehalpershow Get your Katie Halper Show Merch here! https://katiehalper.myspreadshop.com/all Follow Katie on Twitter: https://x.com/kthalps Follow Katie on Instagram / kthalps

Uranium stockpile untouched after US strikes on nuclear sites: Iran "A senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has said that the country's enriched uranium stockpile remains intact despite recent US air strikes on nuclear sites. Ali Shamkhani, a key figure in Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said the attacks failed to damage Iran's nuclear capabilities. “Even if nuclear sites are destroyed, the game isn't over. Enriched materials, indigenous knowledge, and political will remain,” he wrote on X." Trump seeks 'peace' deal with Tehran after Iran strikes: report "US President Donald Trump reportedly has no plans to continue military strikes against Iran and is instead pursuing a peace agreement, Axios reported, citing an unnamed American official. Trump informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the outcome following strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and expressed his preference for diplomacy. An Israeli official confirmed Washington's stance, saying, “the Americans made it clear to us they want to close this round,” according to the report." Israel continues to kill Palestinions in Gaza "Israeli forces have killed at least 31 more Palestinians and wounded dozens in Gaza, according to local medics. While global attention is focused on the Israel-Iran conflict, Tel Aviv continues its deadly war in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel is also quietly intensifying its occupation of the West Bank." Türkiye, UN condemn deadly church attack in Damascus, call for unity against terrorism "Türkiye and the UN have condemned a deadly suicide bombing at Mar Elias Church in Damascus that killed at least 20 and wounded 52, calling for unity against terrorism. UN envoy Geir Pedersen urged a full investigation into the Daesh-claimed attack, which targeted worshippers during mass. Türkiye's Foreign Ministry denounced the assault as an attempt to destabilise Syria and disrupt social cohesion." Oil prices surge after Tehran mulls shutting Strait of Hormuz "Oil prices surge after US air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites raised fears of broader conflict and energy disruption. Brent crude and US West Texas Intermediate jumped over 4%, as tensions mount over the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil corridor. Iran's parliament has approved closing the strait in response to US and Israeli attacks on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan."

Since Israel launched Operation Rising Lion—a precise and defensive military campaign aimed at preventing the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons—Iran has responded with a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones, indiscriminately targeting Israeli civilians. Dr. Matthew Levitt, director of the Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and a leading expert on Iran's global terror network, explains what's at stake—and what could come next. Take Action: We must stop a regime that vows to murder millions of Israelis from gaining the weapons to do it. Urge your elected leaders to assure that Israel has all the necessary support to end Iran's nuclear threat. Resources and Analysis: Iranian Regime vs. Israel War Explained: What You Should Know AJC Advocacy Anywhere: Israel and Iran: Latest Updates, Global Responses, and the Path Ahead 5 Key Reasons Behind Israel's Defensive Strike on Iran's Imminent Nuclear Threat Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: Untold stories of Jews who left or were driven from Arab nations and Iran People of the Pod: Latest Episodes: Why Israel Had No Choice: Inside the Defensive Strike That Shook Iran's Nuclear Program What Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks' State of the Jewish World Teaches Us Today Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of the Interview: Israel's shadow war with the Iranian regime, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, erupted into open conflict last week following a stunning report from the International Atomic Energy Agency that confirmed Iran was much closer to obtaining nuclear weapons than previously known. Since Israel launched a wave of attacks on nuclear sites and facilities, Iran has fired missiles toward Israel's most populated cities. Joining us to discuss what this all means is one of the foremost experts on Iran and its global threats, and a regular guest when trouble arises with Iran. Dr. Matthew Levitt, director of the Reinhard Counterterrorism Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.  Matt, welcome back to People of the Pod. Matthew Levitt:   It's a pleasure to be back, but I need to come sometime when the world's okay.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   That would be nice. That'd be nice. But what will we talk about? Matthew Levitt:   Yeah, just call me one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, you are one of the foremost experts on the dangers posed by Iran, especially its terror proxies. And you've written the definitive book on Hezbollah, titled Hezbollah: the Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God. And I say that whole title, I want to get in there, because we are talking about global threats here.  Can you explain the scale of Iran's global threat and the critical role that its terror proxies, like Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, play in advancing that strategy? Matthew Levitt:   So I really appreciate the question, because it's really important to remind listeners that the Israel Iran war did not start Thursday night US time, Friday morning, Israel time. In fact, it's just the latest salvo where the Israelis, after years and years and years of Iranian we call it malign activity, but that's too soft a term. We're talking about Iran sending weapons and funds to proxies like Hamas to carry out October 7, like Hezbollah to fire rockets at Israel almost daily for almost a year. Like the Houthis, who were much more than a thorn in the Saudi backside until the Iranians came and gave them more sophisticated capabilities.  We're talking about an Iran that a few years ago decided that instead of making sure that every gun that it sent to the West Bank had to go to Hamas or Islamic Jihad. They decided to just flood the West Bank with guns. Who cares who's shooting at the Israelis so long as somebody is. And an Iran that not only carries out human rights abuses of all kinds at home, but that threatens Israel and its neighbors with drones, low altitude cruise missiles, short range ballistic missiles, and medium and long range ballistic missiles.  And so the totality of this, much like the totality of Hezbollah's striking Israel for almost a year, ultimately led Israel to do what most people thought couldn't be done, and just tear Hezbollah apart, that the Israel war on Hezbollah is the prequel to what we've been seeing over the past few days in Iran. Similarly, for the Israelis, it got to be too much. It wasn't even really that President Trump's 60 days expired and Israel attacked on day 61. It wasn't only that the IAEA came out with a report saying that the Iranians have refused to explain certain activities that can only be explained as nuclear weaponization activities.  It was that the Israelis had information that two things were happening. One, that Iran was working very, very hard to rebuild its capability to manufacture medium, long range ballistic missiles that can hit Israel. After the Israeli reprisal attack last October took out a key component of that program, the mixers that are important for the solid propellant, without which you can't make ballistic missiles. And Iran is believed to have, at least the beginning of this recent round of the conflict –Thursday, Friday–about 2000 such missiles. Far fewer now, the Israelis say they've taken out about a third of them, plus launchers, plus radars, et cetera. But that Iran had a plan within just a few years to develop as many as 8000 of these. And that simply was not tolerable for the Israelis.  And the second is that the Israelis say that they compiled evidence that Iran had a secret, secret nuclear weapons program that had been going on predating October 7, but was fast tracked after October 7, that they were planning to maintain this program, even as they were negotiating over the more overt program with the Trump administration. President Trump has even taken issue with his own Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who testified in March that the US intelligence committee does not assess that Iran is weaponizing. And President says, I don't care what she says, I think they were very close to weaponizing.  The Israelis say they have shared this information at least recently with their US counterparts and that was not tolerable. So the primary goals that Israel has set out for itself with this campaign is beyond the critically important shattering the glass ceiling. Think where people in particular, in Iran thought this would never happen, was two things, one, addressing and significantly degrading and setting back the Iranian ballistic missile production program, and second, doing the same to the nuclear program. They've already carried out strikes at Isfahan, Natanz, even at the upper parts of Fordow. And there is an expectation that the Israelis are going to do something more. The Israeli national security advisor said on Israeli television today, We are not going to stop without addressing the nuclear activities at Fordow. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You know, you called it a prequel, Israel's operations against Hezbollah last year. Did you know that it was a prequel at the time and to what extent did it weaken Iran and leave it more vulnerable in this particular war? Matthew Levitt:   I'm going to be the last person in Washington, D.C. who tells you when he doesn't know. And anybody who tells you they did know is lying to you. None of us saw what Israel did to Hezbollah coming. None of us saw that and said, Oh, they did it to a non-state actor right across their border. So they'll definitely be able to do it to Iran, 1000+ kilometers away, big nation state with massive arsenals and a nuclear program and lots of proxies. One plus one does not equal three in this.  In other words, the fact that Israel developed mind boggling capabilities and incredible intelligence, dominance and then special tools, pagers and walkie talkies, in the case of Hezbollah, did not mean that they were going to be able to do the same vis a vis Iran. And they did. The same type of intelligence dominance, the same type of intelligence, knowing where somebody was at a certain time, that the protocols would be that certain leaders would get in a certain secret bunker once hostilities started, and they'd be able to take them out in that bunker. As they did to a bunch of senior Hezbollah commanders just months ago. Drone operations from within Iran, Iran being hit with missiles that were fired at Iran from within Iran, all of it. One case did not necessarily translate into the other. It is exponentially impressive. And Israel's enemies have to be saying, you know, that the Israelis are just all capable. Now you're absolutely right. You hit the nail on the head on one critical issue. For a very long time, Israel was at least somewhat deterred, I would say very deterred, from targeting Iran. Because Iran had made very, very clear if Israel or the United States or anybody else targeted Iran or its nuclear program, one of the first things that would happen would be that Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israel, Iran's first, most important proxy would rain hellfire in Israel in the form of 1000s upon 1000s of rockets. Until Israel addressed the problem, Hezbollah is believed to have had 150 to 200,000 different types of projectiles, up to and including precision guided munitions.  Not only have the overwhelming majority of those been destroyed, Hezbollah still has 1000s of rockets, but Hezbollah leadership has been decimated. There's a new sheriff in town in Lebanon. There's a new government that immediately, when hostility started with Iran's, went to Hezbollah and said, You're not doing this, not dragging Lebanon back into a war that nobody wanted again. We are finally coming out of this economic crisis. And so Iran was faced with a situation where it didn't have Hezbollah to deter Israel.  Israel, you know, paved the way for a highway in the air to Iran, taking out air defense systems. It was able to fly over and through Syria. The Syrians are not shedding any tears as they see the Quds Force and the IRGC getting beaten down after what Iran did in Syria. And the Israelis have air dominance now. President Trump said, We, using the we term, air dominance now, earlier today. And they're able to slowly and methodically continue to target the ballistic missile program. Primarily, the medium and long range missiles that target Israel, but sometimes it's the same production lines that produce the short range missiles that Iran uses to target U.S. Forces in the region, and our allies in the Gulf. So Israel is not just protecting itself, it's protecting the region. And then also taking out key military security intelligence personnel, sometimes taking out one person, then a couple days later, taking out the person who succeeded that person, and then also taking out key scientists who had the know-how to potentially rebuild all the things that Israel is now destroying. Manya Brachear Pashman:   But Israel is also not hearing from the Houthis, is not hearing from Hamas. It's not hearing from other terror proxies either. Very few attacks from Iran's terror proxies in the aftermath of this wave. Why? Why do you think that is? Matthew Levitt:   The crickets are loud. The crickets are loud. Look, we've discussed Hezbollah. Hezbollah understands that if it were to do something, the Israelis will come in even harder and destroy what's left. Hamas is still holding hostages. This is still an open wound, but it doesn't have the capabilities that it once had, and so there have been a couple of short range things that they tried to shoot, but it's not anything that's going to do huge damage, and the Israeli systems can deal with those.  The Houthis did fire something, and it hurt some Palestinians near Hebron. You know, the Houthis and the Iranians in particular, in this conflict have killed Palestinians, and in one case, Syrians. They're continuing to hurt people that are not Israelis. One of the things that I think people are hopeful for is that as Iran tries to sue for peace, and it already is, it's been reaching out to Cyprus to pass messages, etcetera. The hope is that Iran will recognize that it's in a position whereby A) there has to be zero enrichment and the facilities have to be destroyed, whatever's left of them. And B) there's a hope that Israel and the United States together will be able to use this diplomatic moment to truly end the conflict in Gaza and get the hostages home. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, that was what I was going to ask. I mean, if Israel achieves its objectives in this war, primarily eliminating Iran's nuclear threat, how significant a setback would that be for Hamas and Iran's other terror proxies, and could it indeed pave the way for an end of the war in Gaza and the return of the hostages? Matthew Levitt:   Like everybody else, I'm so scarred, I don't want to get my hopes up, but I do see this as a distinct possibility, and here's why. Not Hezbollah, not the Houthis, not Hamas, none of them, and plenty of other proxies that don't start in the letter H, none of them could have been anywhere as capable as they've proven to be, were it not for Iranian money and weapons. Also some training, some intelligence, but primarily money and weapons.  And so Hamas is already on its back foot in this regard. It can still get some money in. It's still being able to make money off of humanitarian aid. Iran is still sending money in through money exchange houses and hawaladars, but not weapons. Their ability to manufacture weapons, their military industrial complex within Gaza, this is destroyed. Hezbollah, we've discussed, discussed, and a lot of their capabilities have been destroyed. And those that remain are largely deterred. The Houthis did shoot up some rockets, and the Israelis did carry out one significant retaliatory attack. But I think people are beginning to see the writing on the wall. The Israelis are kicking the stuffing out of Iran with pinprick attacks that are targeting the worst of the bad guys, including people who have carried out some of the worst human rights transgressions against Iranians. Let's not pretend that this is not affecting the average Iranian. It is. The president says, Everybody get out of Tehran. That's just not possible. People, average Iranians, good people. It must be just an absolute terror.  But Israel's not bombing, you know, apartment buildings, as Iran is doing in Israel, or as Russia is doing in Ukraine. And so it really is a different type of thing. And when the Houthis, when Hamas, when Hezbollah, look at this, you don't you don't poke the tiger when it's angry. I think they also understand now's the time to get into survival mode. What you want is for the regime in Iran not to be destroyed. This is no longer a moment, as it's been since long before October 7, but certainly since then, of how Iran as proxies, export Iran's revolution. This is now a question of how they maintain and preserve the revolution at home. And it's extremely important to the proxies that Iran remain, so that even if it's knocked down over time, hopefully, theoretically, from their perspective, it can regain its footing. It will still have, they hope, its oil and gas, etcetera, and they will get back to a point where they can continue to fund and arm the proxies in. Maybe even prioritize them as it takes them longer to rebuild their ballistic missile, drone, and nuclear programs. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Which is a scary prospect as well to know that terror proxies could be spread throughout the world and empowered even a little bit more. President Trump left the G7 summit a day early to meet with security advisors, and just a few hours ago, prior to this interview, President Trump called for Iran's, quote, unconditional surrender, saying that the US knows where the Supreme Leader is, and some other threatening language. But I mean, this appears to be a kind of a clear commitment to Israel. So I'm curious how you assess his administration's actions before and during the war thus far, and do you see the United States edging toward direct involvement? Matthew Levitt:   All politics is local, and there is a tug of war within the MAGA movement over whether or not the US should be getting involved. Not only in supporting an important ally, but in removing a critical threat. The President is clearly frustrated that Iran was not being more forthcoming in the negotiations. He said many times, we'd offered you a great deal, you should have taken the deal. He's very aware that his deadline ended, and they didn't particularly seem to care. There's also the background that once upon a time, they tried to assassinate him, I think, after the Israelis did what they did, the President appreciates capabilities. He appreciates success. He likes backing the winning horse. And so the New York Times is reporting that after getting off the phone with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Trump reportedly turned to some aides and said, maybe we need to help him. Now it's not clear that's what's going to happen, and my understanding is that the Israelis have plans of their own for things like the heavily fortified facility at Fordow, which is the most important and highly fortified, protected of the nuclear installations. The Israeli National Security Advisor spoke today and said, you know, we're not going to be done until we do something with Fordow.  The United States can do multiple things only the United States has the MOP: the Massive Ordinance Penetrator, and the airplanes to deliver it, and they could end Fordow if they wanted. Short of that, they could do other things to support Israel. There's been defensive support for the State of Israel already, but there's other things they could do, refueling and other things if they wanted to. And at a minimum, I don't see the president restraining Israel at all. Now, I've heard some people say that so far, the President has fired nothing more than some social media postings, some of them even in all caps.  But the truth is, those do have an effect, and so long as Israel is not restrained. I think the Israelis went into this with a plan. That plan is not necessarily to entirely destroy the entire nuclear program, but if the ballistic missile program and the nuclear program are sufficiently degraded so that it will take them years and a tremendous amount of time and money to rebuild, knowing that Israel has broken the glass ceiling on this idea of targeting Iran, that if the Israelis feel they need to, they will come back. If the Iranians rebuild their air defense systems, the Israelis will address them and create a new highway going if they need to. I think the Israelis are making that clear. Knowing that it's going to be a little bit of a road for Iran, especially when it will have to deal with some domestic issues coming out of this.  Finally, the Israelis have started signaling there's other things they could do. The Israelis have not yet fully targeted oil and gas fields and facilities. For example, they had one set of attacks where they basically knocked at the front door of some of these facilities without walking in the house. That's signaling, and I think it's one of the reasons you're seeing Iran quietly trying to reach out for some type of a ceasefire. Other signaling, for example, is the Israelis deciding to fly all the way to Mashhad, which is in far eastern Iran, to take out an airplane. That airplane was not particularly important. It was the message. There is nowhere in Iran we can't go. It's not a question of distance, it's not a question of refueling, it's not a question of air defense systems. We can do what we need to do. And I think the Iranians understand that now. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So we talked about the commitment to Israel, and how clear, how important it is to clarify that commitment to Israel. How important is it to clarify the United States commitment to Arab partners in the Middle East to help defend them in other words, if this conflict escalates? Matthew Levitt:   This is critically important. You know, one of the individuals who was taken out, for example, was the person who was in charge of the drone attack on the Abqaiq oil facility in Saudi Arabia. If you look, for example, at the Saudi statement condemning the Israeli actions, it was issued by the Foreign Ministry without a single name attached to it. Wasn't issued by the Crown Prince, wasn't issued by the foreign minister. So I think you should expect a whole lot of public criticism. I imagine there's a different conversation going on behind closed doors. It's not necessarily, you know, pom-poming. This makes the Gulf states very, very nervous, in part because they understand that one way Iran could try and get out of this is to expand the conflict.  And that the reason they haven't is because, short of trying to prevent Iranians from taking to the streets and potentially doing something to maybe overthrow the regime, short of that, the number one thing that the Iranian regime is most desperate to avoid is getting the United States involved militarily. And I think the Iranians really understand and the messaging's been clear. If you target US Forces in the region, if you target our allies in the region, we'll get involved. If you don't, then we might not.  Now the President now is talking about potentially doing that, and as a lot of maybe this, maybe that, nothing very clear. I think what is clear is that the Israelis are going to continue doing what they need to do for another one to two weeks. Even going so far as doing something, though they haven't made clear what to address the really complicated problem of the fortified facility at Fordow. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So how important is it for global security if Israel is successful in eliminating the nuclear threat in Iran? Matthew Levitt:   Look, Iran has been the single most destabilizing factor in the region for a long time now. Imagine a region without a destabilizing revolutionary regime in Iran without a regime that is supporting Shia militants in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.  Imagine the Shia militias in Iraq suddenly without a funder and a patron, enabling the Shia government in Iraq to actually be able to take control of the country and establish a monopoly over the use of force. At a time when the Shia militias, because of Iran's backing, are becoming more dangerous and more powerful in Iraq.  Imagine the Lebanese government being able to be more forward leaning in their effort to establish a monopoly over the use of force in that country, reclaim bases that Hezbollah has used for all this time, and establish a new Lebanon that is not beholden to Iran and Hezbollah.  And imagine an Israeli-Palestinian situation where you didn't have Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as spoilers. Recall that October 7 happened in large part because Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran could not tolerate the prospect of Israeli-Saudi normalization. For most Palestinians, this was great news. The Saudis were demanding real dividends for the Palestinians from the Netanyahu government, which was likely going to do them. This was great for Palestinians, bad for Hamas.  Imagine Hamas no longer getting that support from Iran. Imagine Iran no longer able to send or being interested in sending millions upon millions of dollars to its proxies, and instead spending what money it has on helping its population, instead of cracking down on it with human rights violations. You could have a very, very different region, let alone imagine Iran no longer carrying out acts of terrorism, kidnapping plots, abduction plots of dissidents and Jews and Israelis and others around the world of the type that we've seen throughout Europe and throughout the Middle East and even in the United States over the past few years. Manya Brachear Pashman:   That's quite an imagination you have. But I take your point. Let me ask you this then. Did you ever imagine that Israel would take this dramatic step?  Matthew Levitt:   What the Israelis have achieved, when you are so against the wall and you're forced to come up with solutions, because it's a matter of life or death – you make the impossible possible. And I think that perhaps the Iranians assumed that the Israeli post-October 7 doctrine applied to non-state actors only. And that doctrine is very simple. Israel will no longer allow adversaries who are openly committed to its destruction to build up weapons, arsenals that they can then use at some point to actually try and destroy Israel. They will not allow that to happen.  They allowed it to happen with Hamas. It was a mistake. They allowed it to happen with Hezbollah. It was a mistake that they corrected. And Iran is the biggest, arguably, really, the only existential threat as huge, as a tasking as that was, clearly they invested in doing it. And the question became, not, why can't it be done? What is it that has to be overcome? And I don't think sitting here with you right now, you know, what is it, 3:30 on Tuesday, the 17th, that we've seen the last of the tricks up Israel's sleeve.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   I only have one last question for you, and that is about the United States. The importance of the United States getting directly involved. I mean, we've talked about previously undisclosed nuclear sites, and who knows how many there could be. We're talking about more than what, 600,000 square miles of Iran. If the goal is a non nuclear Iran, can Israel finish this war without the United States, or does it even matter? I mean, is this just a step to force Iran back to the negotiating table with virtually zero leverage? Matthew Levitt:   So look, I don't think the goal here is completely destroying the Iranian nuclear program, or even completely destroying the Iranian ballistic missile program. The goal is to so degrade it that it is set back many, many years, and break that ceiling. People now understand if Israelis need to come back, they're coming back. I think they would like to do as much damage to these destructive programs as possible, of course, and I don't think we've seen the end of it. I think there are more tricks up Israel's sleeve when it comes to some of these complicated problems.  Judged by this yardstick, by the way, the Israeli operation is a tremendous success, tremendous success, even though there have been some significant casualties back in Israel, and even though this has caused tremendous trauma for innocent Iranians who have no love for the regime. This is a situation that the Iranian regime has brought down on all of us.  I do think that the Israelis have made very, very clear that this doesn't end until something is done to further disrupt and dismantle Fordow, which is the most important and the most heavily fortified, underground, under a mountain facility. It's not clear what the Israelis have in mind. It seems they have something in mind of their own. It's clear they would love for the United States to get involved, because the United States could do real damage to that facility and potentially end the Iranian nuclear program. But at the end of the day, if it can't be completely destroyed, I anticipate it's going to be damaged enough to significantly set it back. This phase of the Israel-Iran war, which didn't start last week, is not about pushing them back a week or a month or two months. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, Matt, thank you so much for your wise counsel and perspective on this matter, and yes, hopefully we can have you back another time to talk about peace and love and things that have nothing to do with war and conflict with Iran or its terror proxies. Matthew Levitt:   I would really look forward to prepping for that interview. In the meantime, I want to thank AJC for all the important work it does, and thank you guys for having me on the podcast. Manya Brachear Pashman:   If you missed last week's episodes, be sure to tune in for our crossover episode with Books and Beyond: The Rabbi Sacks Podcast, a podcast of the Rabbi Sacks Legacy, and my conversation with AJC's Jerusalem Director Avital Liebovich. During a special breaking news episode the day after Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, the latest in Israel's ongoing war of self-defense against the Iranian regime.  

For review:1.  The UN conference hosted by France and Saudi Arabia to work toward a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians has been postponed French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday.  France and Saudi Arabia had been set to host the gathering between June 17-20 in New York. 2. Israel smuggled attack drones into Iran using a variety of means, including trucks, shipping containers, and even suitcases, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing sources familiar with the Mossad operation.3.  Israeli PM & President Visit Site of Deadly Missile Strike in Bat Yam.4.  IDF Warns Citizens of Tehran to Evacuate. Widespread Israeli Air Force strikes were reported in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Sunday afternoon, hours after the IDF issued an unprecedented evacuation warning for Iranian civilians to evacuate areas around weapons factories. 5.  Some Iranians began to flee the capital, Tehran, on Sunday as Israeli airstrikes continued to target military infrastructure and nuclear facilities across the Islamic Republic for a third day. 6.  IDF Strikes Oil Refineries, Fuel Depots, and Gas Fields.7.  Iran has asked Cyprus to convey “some messages” to Israel, the President President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday. However, Iran swiftly denied the claim, with its Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei saying Iran did not send any message to Israel via a third country. 8.  US President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a 50-minute phone call Saturday to discuss the escalating situation in the Middle East, the White House and Kremlin confirmed. 

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 112-points this morning from Friday's close, at 21,773 on turnover of 6.3-billion N-T. The market closed slightly lower Friday - after retreating from earlier gains as investors remained cautious ahead of the release of U-S jobs data. The bellwether electronics sector remained sluggish throughout the session despite some late buying, while select non-tech stocks, particularly in the financial and petrochemical sectors, drew interest and lent support to the broader market. French National Assembly delegation visits Taiwan A delegation of members of the French National Assembly has arrived in Taiwan for a six-day visit. The delegation is being led Marie-Noelle Battistel, the president of the Assembly's Taiwan-France Friendship Group. Battistel is visiting at the invitation of the Lai administration and is being accompanied by four other deputies in the lower house of the French Parliament. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the delegation is slated to hold talks with President Lai Ching-te and other senior government officials in Taipei aimed at enhancing (增強) bilateral relations. They will also meet with Minister without Portfolio Lin Ming-hsin and Economics Minister Kuo Jyh-huei. 'Time 100' recipient gets honorary doctorate from Taitung university Philanthropist Chen Shu-chu has been presented with an honorary doctorate degree by National Taitung University for her humanitarian contributions (貢獻). Chen was a vegetable vendor at Central Market in Taitung City for over half a century before she retired in 2018. She gained fame here in Taiwan when she was named as one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people of 2010 for her philanthropy. Chen received her degree with the National Taitung University alumni at a graduation ceremony held at the university's Chihpen Campus for her contributions to society. She was introduced at the event by Taitung County Deputy Magistrate Wang Chih-hui - who cited her as an example of human love transcending (超越) technological advancement. Israel Reports Thunberg Vessel Diverted to Israel Israel's Foreign Ministry says a Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists has been diverted (改變方向) to Israel. In a post on X, it said the boat “is safely making its way to the shores of Israel.” The passengers “are expected to return to their home countries,” it added, without providing further details. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which had organized the voyage to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and protest Israel's blockade of the territory, said the activists had been “kidnapped by Israeli forces.” Colombia Presidential Hopeful Shot and Wounded A Colombian senator and would-be presidential candidate is shot and wounded (受傷) at a rally. AP correspondent Julie Walker reports France World Oceans Day Dozens of research and exploration vessels have set sail off the French coastal city of Nice across across the Bay of Angels. The event on Sunday marked World Oceans Day and the opening of the third U.N. Ocean Conference. It aimed to showcase the beauty of the ocean and the growing urgency to protect it. Thousands of delegates, including heads of state, scientists, and environmental advocates, are expected in Nice this week to confront growing threats to the ocean, and the need to transform pledges (承諾) into protection. The conference is expected to bring the High Seas Treaty closer to ratification, allowing countries to establish marine protected areas in international waters, which cover nearly two-thirds of the ocean and remain largely ungoverned. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ 打造綠能與AI科技的示範驗證場域，串聯嘉義、南科、高雄及屏東等園區，大南方智慧轉型的關鍵樞紐，歡迎一同探索沙崙智慧綠能科學城，共創智慧未來！ 參訪進駐資訊請至 https://sofm.pse.is/7qmrvq 網站查詢 經濟部能源署/臺南市政府經濟發展局(廣告) -- NISSAN為提升車主夏季駕乘感受，限時推出X-TRAIL、KICKS及SENTRA「涼夏特仕版」限量各200台，雙前座升級通風座椅，提供涼爽舒適的駕駛體驗。 本月入主NISSAN任一車款再贈Dyson時尚吹風機組，及零利率方案，讓消費者輕鬆入主、無壓升級NISSAN車款。 https://sofm.pse.is/7qk7ag -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Beijing has urged Washington to protect the interests of international students amid reports that the United States government has halted the scheduling of new interviews for student visa applicants.针对美国政府暂停安排学生签证申请人新面签的报道，北京已敦促华盛顿方面切实保障国际学生权益。"China believes that education cooperation and academic exchanges should not be disrupted," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday.外交部发言人毛宁周三表示：“中方认为教育合作与学术交流不应受到干扰。”Mao made the remark after foreign media reported that the US government is considering requiring all foreign students applying to study in the US to undergo social media vetting, and in preparation for the vetting, is ordering US embassies and consular sections to pause scheduling new interviews for such visa applicants.此前，外媒报道称，美国政府正考虑要求所有赴美留学的外国学生接受社交媒体的审查，并为此暂停美国使领馆对该类签证申请人新的签证面谈。The spokeswoman said that China is following the current development, which comes days after the US government revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students. The revocation has been temporarily blocked by a court restraining order.毛宁指出，中方正密切关注事态发展。此前数日，美国政府刚取消哈佛大学招收国际学生的资格，该决定现已被法院限制令临时叫停。"We urge the US to protect the lawful and legitimate rights and interests of all international students, including those from China," Mao added.她强调：“我们敦促美方切实保障包括中国留学生在内的所有国际学生的合法权益。”In an interview with China Media Group on Wednesday, a staff member of the US embassy in Beijing said the embassy has not received relevant information, and visa applications and interviews are proceeding as usual.在周三接受中国环球电视网采访时，美国驻华大使馆工作人员表示未收到相关信息，签证申请及面签程序均正常进行。A 20-year-old Chinese student, who is majoring in computer science at a US university, said the reported measure will not affect his studies in the US, because he already has a long-term student visa.一位就读于美国大学计算机专业的20岁中国留学生表示，该政策不会影响其学业，因其已持有长期学生签证。However, those currently applying for majors at US universities may feel anxious about the move, he said, adding that the US is not as welcoming for international students as it used to be.但他指出，当前正在申请美国院校的学生可能因此焦虑，并坦言“美国对国际学生的欢迎程度已不如往昔”。According to a report released on Friday by New Oriental Education and Technology Group, an education company in China, the US has been the second most popular country for Chinese students who intend to study abroad for six years in a row.据中国的教育公司，新东方教育科技集团上周五发布的报告显示，美国已连续六年位居中国留学生意向目的地第二位。However, the US government has stepped up its crackdown on international students this year, including by abruptly terminating their legal status.然而今年以来，美政府持续加大对国际学生的限制力度，包括突然终止其合法身份等举措。halt/hɔ:lt/v.使停止;停止，终止vet/vet/v.审查;仔细检查legitimate rights合法权利embassy/ˈembəsi/n.大使馆；使馆官员crackdown/ˈkrækdaʊn/v.打击；镇压

The newborn son of Tzeela Gez, an Israeli woman killed in a West Bank terror shooting, has died; Israel's Foreign Ministry held a memorial ceremony in Jerusalem for Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, two Israeli embassy employees who were heinously killed in a shooting attack in Washington, DC.;The IDF struck Sana'a International Airport in Yemen on Wednesday morning and destroyed the last operational aircraft belonging to the Houthi rebels, Israel's Defense Minister confirmed; Police arrested a 41 year old Eritrean national for robbing and murdering a 71-year-old man here in Tel Aviv. An explosive device planted by terrorists detonated during combat in southern Gaza on Wednesday, killing 20-year-old IDF Sergeant Danilo Mocanu from Holon; A stunning Byzantine-era mosaic, originally discovered in 1990 near Be'er Shema in the western Negev, is now on public display after an extensive restoration.Click that you heard about Hasod (gift boxes) from “a podcast” when you check out. https://www.hasodstore.com/shopsmallIsrael Daily News website: https://israeldailynews.orgIsrael Daily News Roundtable: https://www.patreon.com/shannafuldSupport our Wartime News Coverage: https://www.gofundme.com/f/independent-journalist-covering-israels-warLinks to all things IDN:⁠ https://linktr.ee/israeldailynews⁠Music: Tik Tak; Erika Krall & Lian Gold https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGqtwBjb-R8

Beijing has expressed stern opposition after Washington said it would start "aggressively" revoking visas of Chinese students. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson says this act betrays America's long-proclaimed freedom and openness and will damage its own international image and credibility.

Last-ditch efforts for Gaza ceasefire underway "Egypt, Qatar and the US have come together to present Hamas with a revised ceasefire proposal, originally drafted by Washington's Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. Sources familiar with the talks say this is being described as the last chance to make a deal. The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has been given 48 hours to respond." Israel plans to seize 75% of Gaza "Israel is said to be accelerating its military offensive, aiming to seize control of about seventy-five percent of the territory within the next two months. That means nearly two million Palestinians would be forced into just a quarter of Gaza. A recent high-level briefing reportedly laid out these plans. By July, Israeli forces would occupy around two hundred and seventy five square kilometres of the coastal enclave—out of Gaza's total three hundred and sixty five. The Palestinian population would be confined to three areas: Gaza City in the north, central Gaza's refugee camps, and the Masawi area down south." US Golden Dome project is 'nuclear war scenario': North Korea "North Korea is slamming the United States over its new Golden Dome missile defence project, calling it a dangerous step toward nuclear war. President Trump announced the programme, worth one hundred and seventy five billion dollars, on May 20th, saying a design had been chosen and a lead appointed to manage the effort. In a statement released by state media, North Korea's Foreign Ministry accused Washington of arrogance and high-handedness. Officials there described the project as part of a ""space-based nuclear war scenario"" and said it perfectly reflects the ""America First"" mindset." US urges Israel to 'stay united' on Iran "The US is urging Israel to remain unified as talks continue with Iran over its nuclear programme. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she had a direct and honest conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the ongoing negotiations. According to her, President Trump specifically asked her to deliver the message in person, stressing the need for unity while discussions play out." Anti-Muslim lawmaker Wilders unveils 10-point migration crackdown plan "Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders is once again stirring controversy with a new ten-point plan aimed at slashing immigration. He's also putting pressure on the ruling coalition, warning he might pull his support if his demands aren't met. The plan includes some hardline measures like deploying the army to secure land borders and turning away all asylum-seekers at the point of entry. He also wants a temporary freeze on family reunification for accepted refugees."

船越健裕外務事務次官とランドー米国務副長官外務省は１４日、船越健裕事務次官が１５～１７日に米国を訪れ、ランドー国務副長官と会談すると発表した。 Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi will visit the United States for three days from Thursday to hold talks with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi will visit the United States for three days from Thursday to hold talks with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

世界貿易機関のオコンジョイウェアラ事務局長外務省は１２日、世界貿易機関のオコンジョイウェアラ事務局長が同日から１４日までの日程で来日すると発表した。 Japan's Foreign Ministry said Monday that World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will visit the country for three days through Wednesday to meet with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and other senior officials.

Japan's Foreign Ministry said Monday that World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will visit the country for three days through Wednesday to meet with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and other senior officials.

Let's go to the PHD Weight Loss Talk Line with doctor Steve who's heading up to Boiling Springs. How are you doing, bud? I'm I'm doing well. And yourself? I'm doing great. What's going on? Great. I just don't know if you've heard, but the the strength of Trump's, tariffs, even the pope is American made. I see. I see. There you go. I mean, it's working, isn't it? Globally, Trump's Trump's tariffs are working. And another quick thing about Belichick Yeah. If he marries that girl if he marries that girl, are the young ones gonna call her nana or granny? Yeah. Right? I don't know. My gosh. It's gonna be awful. Thank you so much, buddy. You be careful out there. Yep. Even even the pope is American made. That's how well Trump's, tariffs are working. Now what you're not hearing from the mainstream media is exactly that, how well Trump's tariffs are working. Already signed that huge great deal. It was a huge deal. It's the best deal we've ever done with The UK. Nobody else could do it but me. Only I could do and he's right. Only he could do that. Because he's even as they pointed out over on CNN last night, The United States has has been trying to come up with some sort of a trade deal with The UK for a long time. Now remember, they lost a lot of their trading status when they went through Brexit, and they broke away from the European Union. So they lost a little bit there, but now this this benefits them. It benefits us. Everybody's a winner. But who is about to come to the table? Well, China. China's getting ready. So it wasn't long ago, and and you saw it. Everybody, you know, if you're on social media, you probably saw it. China went on this huge campaign. It was a propaganda campaign is what it was. What it was. It was a big propaganda campaign. They even you know, they were pumping up China's economy, and everything is going great. And we got, they they posted images of Mao Zedong, lambasted imperialist, sent messages to people's phones capitulating to bullies as dangerous, and it went it it it that they wouldn't back down. Well, not so much. Because now we're finding out according to Tyler Durden over there at the Liberty Daily, behind closed doors, China was quietly and has been quietly preparing to do that back down. And Reuters reports that according to three sources, officials had grown increasingly alarmed about tariffs, impacts on the economy, and the risk of isolation as China's trading partners have started negotiating deals with Washington. China's reasons for deciding to negotiate Washington's letter on fentanyl, US diplomatic challenges in Beijing, and the early outreach between the two sides are reported by Reuters for the first time based on interviews with nearly a dozen government officials and experts on both sides. As usual, China's diplomatic efforts had two faces. One, for the popular domestic consumption and one for private engagement with the adversary, in that case, is Us. China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement to Reuters that it reiterated that China's firm opposition to The US abuse of tariff is consistent and clear, and there is no change. It added that The U US has ignored China's goodwill and unreasonably imposed tariffs on China under the pretext of fentanyl. This is a typical act of bullying with serious, which seriously undermines the dialogue and cooperation between the two sides in the field of drug control. Now they're backing down. So you see, The US did not ignore China's goodwill as they say. The issue of fentanyl is a very serious one, and we need to take it seriously. But it's about more than that. They had social media influencers, like I said, online. They were they were begging people, begging people. Buy directly from the factory. If you need a product, if you need something, buy directly from the factory. That way we can, you know, kinda do or go around some of these tariffs. They were begging people. Factories have been shutting down. Unemployment is rampant. W ...

Let's go to the PHD Weight Loss Talk Line with doctor Steve who's heading up to Boiling Springs. How are you doing, bud? I'm I'm doing well. And yourself? I'm doing great. What's going on? Great. I just don't know if you've heard, but the the strength of Trump's, tariffs, even the pope is American made. I see. I see. There you go. I mean, it's working, isn't it? Globally, Trump's Trump's tariffs are working. And another quick thing about Belichick Yeah. If he marries that girl if he marries that girl, are the young unsung to call her nana or granny? Yeah. Right? I don't know. My gosh. It's gonna be awful. Thank you so much, buddy. You be careful out there. Yep. Even even the pope is American made. That's how well Trump's, tariffs are working. Now what you're not hearing from the mainstream media is exactly that, how well Trump's tariffs are working. Already signed that huge great deal. It was a huge deal. It's the best deal we've ever done with The UK. Nobody else could do it but me. Only I could do and he's right. Only he could do that. Because these even as they pointed out over on CNN last night, The United States has has been trying to come up with some sort of a trade deal with The UK for a long time. Now remember, they lost a lot of their trading status when they went through Brexit, and they broke away from the European Union. So they lost a little bit there, but now this this benefits them. It benefits us. Everybody's a winner. But who is about to come to the table? Well, China. China's getting ready. So it wasn't long ago, and and you saw it. Everybody, you know, if you're on social media, you probably saw it. China went on this huge campaign. It was a propaganda campaign is what it was. What it was. It was a big propaganda campaign. They even you know, they were pumping up China's economy, and everything is going great. And we got, they they posted images of Mao Zedong, lambasted imperialist, sent messages to people's phones capitulating to bullies as dangerous, and it went it it it that they wouldn't back down. Well, not so much. Because now we're finding out according to Tyler Durden over there at the Liberty Daily, behind closed doors, China was quietly and has been quietly preparing to do that back down. And Reuters reports that according to three sources, officials had grown increasingly alarmed about tariffs, impacts on the economy, and the risk of isolation as China's trading partners have started negotiating deals with Washington. China's reasons for deciding to negotiate, Washington's letter on fentanyl, US diplomatic challenges in Beijing, and the early outreach between the two sides are reported by Reuters for the first time based on interviews with nearly a dozen government officials and experts on both sides. As usual, China's diplomatic efforts had two faces. One, for the popular domestic consumption and one for private engagement with the adversary, and that case is Us. China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement to Reuters that it reiterated that China's firm opposition to The US abuse of tariff is consistent and clear, and there is no change. It added that The U US has ignored China's goodwill and unreasonably imposed tariffs on China under the pretext of fentanyl. This is a typical act of bullying with serious, which seriously undermines the dialogue and cooperation between the two sides in the field of drug control. Now they're backing down. So you see, The US did not ignore China's goodwill as they say. The issue of fentanyl is a very serious one, and we need to take it seriously. But it's about more than that. They had social media influencers, like I said, online. They were they were begging people begging people. Buy directly from the factory. If you need a product, if you need something, buy directly from the factory. That way we can, you know, kinda do or go around some of these tariffs. They were begging people. Factories have been shutting down. Unemployment is rampant. W ...

A round-up of the main headlines in Sweden on May 7th, 2025. You can hear more reports on our homepage www.radiosweden.se, or in the app Sveriges Radio Play. Presenter/Producer: Kris Boswell

【北京時事】沖縄県・尖閣諸島沖で中国海警局の艦船から飛び立ったヘリコプターが日本の領空を侵犯した件を巡り、中国外務省は４日、在中国日本大使館の次席である横地晃公使に抗議したと発表した。 China's Foreign Ministry on Sunday protested to Japan over an incident the previous day in which a Chinese helicopter flew in Japanese airspace around the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands.

China's Foreign Ministry on Sunday protested to Japan over an incident the previous day in which a Chinese helicopter flew in Japanese airspace around the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands.

UN calls on Israel to lift 'brutal blockade' of humanitarian aid to Gaza The UN has called on Israel to lift its blockade of humanitarian aid delivery into Gaza, saying blocking the desperately needed aid inflicts a "cruel collective punishment". Tom Fletcher, the UN relief chief, said that: "International law is unequivocal: As the occupying power, Israel must allow humanitarian support in. Aid, and the civilian lives it saves, should never be a bargaining chip." Fletcher also said: "The humanitarian movement is independent, impartial and neutral. We believe that all civilians are equally worthy of protection," underlining that they remain ready to save as many lives as they can, despite the risks." US urges India to avoid broader conflict after Kashmir attack US Vice President JD Vance has said that Washington hopes that India's response to the recent attack in India-administered Kashmir does not lead to a broader regional conflict. Vance said that Washington hoped Pakistan would cooperate with India to hunt down those responsible for the attack. He said that: "Pakistan, to the extent that they're responsible, cooperates with India to make sure that the terrorists sometimes operating in their territory are hunted down and dealt with. That's how we hope this unfolds. We're obviously in close contact. We'll see what happens." Deadly drone attack in Kherson, Moscow blames Kiev A Ukrainian drone strike on a market area in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's Kherson region killed at least seven people and wounded over 20 others, the Moscow-installed governor said. Vladimir Saldo, the region's Russian-backed governor, accused Ukrainian forces of carrying out the strike in a crowded market district in the city of Oleshky. Russia's Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling the incident a “terrorist” act and accused Ukraine of escalating the war while sabotaging diplomatic efforts. Pakistan ups diplomacy amid tensions with India Pakistani leaders doubled diplomatic efforts amid tensions with India following a deadly attack in India-administered Kashmir, according to a statement from the prime minister's office in Islamabad. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani that Pakistan condemned terrorism in all forms and manifestations, reiterating his offer for a credible, transparent and neutral international investigation into the Pahalgam attack. Sharif also met with Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong in Islamabad, where the two discussed the situation in the region, thanking to China for its strong and steadfast support to Pakistan in the prevailing situation in South Asia. High technology, AI key to new world, says TEKNOFEST head The head of Türkiye's premier technology event, TEKNOFEST, highlighted that high technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are the keys to the new world, stressing that AI, when combined with the right purpose and ethical values, can provide humanity with a much better future. Selcuk Bayraktar, speaking at the opening ceremony of TEKNOFEST, emphasised that AI can enable groundbreaking innovations in health, equal educational opportunity, and countless opportunities that will make life easier. He also underscored that the country should be a global centre of attraction for technology and science in the heart of the Mediterranean.

For review:1. Israel seeks international aid in fighting wildfires across the country.  A statement from Israel's Foreign Ministry said the minister had spoken with the foreign ministers of the UK, France, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Argentina, Spain, North Macedonia, Azerbaijan, and other unspecified countries.2. IDF's Drone Strike "Message" Supports Syrian Druze Community. Joint Statement from Israel's PM and Defense Minster: “Israel will not allow harm to the Druze community in Syria, out of a deep commitment to our Druze brothers in Israel, who are connected by family and historical ties to their Druze brothers in Syria.” 3.  US & Ukraine Agree to Mineral Deal.  The Ukrainian Cabinet approved the agreement Wednesday. The deal still needs to be ratified by the Ukrainian Parliament before it can take effect. 4. EU Will Not Recognize Crimea as Russian.  EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on April 30: "On the European side, we have said this over and over again… Crimea is Ukraine."5.  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calls for accelerating the nuclear weapon capability of the Korean People's Army Navy.6. At Modern Day Marine conference, Polaris unveiled MRZR Alpha vehicle with one kilowatt of exportable power.  The company is also working on a MRZR variant capable of generating five kilowatts of power.7.  US Navy has awarded a long-awaited contract modification to General Dynamics Electric Boat, and major subcontractor HII, for the construction of two Virginia-class submarines appropriated through fiscal 2024 funding.

China's Foreign Ministry denied on Thursday any ongoing negotiations between China and the United States over the tariff issue, reiterating that dialogue and negotiations on the issue must be based on equality, respect and mutual benefit.中国外交部周四否认中美之间正在进行任何有关关税问题的谈判，并重申就该问题进行对话和谈判必须建立在平等、尊重和互利的基础上。Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the ministry, rejected reports from the US side that Beijing and Washington are in negotiations and will even reach a deal, calling such claims "fake news".外交部发言人郭嘉昆驳斥了美方关于中美正在进行谈判甚至将达成协议的报道，称此类说法是“假新闻”。"As far as I know, China and the US have not held consultations or negotiations on the tariff issue, let alone reached any agreement," Guo told a daily news conference.郭嘉昆在每日例行记者会上表示：“据我所知，中美双方尚未就关税问题进行磋商或谈判，更遑论达成任何协议。”The tariff war was initiated by the US, he said, stressing that China's position has been consistent and clear: "If it's to fight, we'll fight till the end. If it's to talk, our door is wide open."他表示，关税战是由美国挑起的，并强调中方的立场是一贯明确的：“要打我们奉陪到底，要谈我们敞开大门。”reiterate/riˈɪtəreɪt/v.重申，反复地说dialogue/ˈdaɪəlɒɡ/n.对话fake news虚假新闻consultation/ˌkɒnsəlˈteɪʃən/n.磋商，商讨

China is said to consider exempting some US goods from tariffs as costs increase with Chinese authorities considering removing additional levies for medical equipment and some industrial chemicals like ethane, according to Bloomberg citing sources familiar with the matter.China's Foreign Ministry says it is not having any consultations or negotiations with the US on tariffs; on tariff exemptions, says not familiar with specifics.European bourses edge higher on positive Chinese trade reports; US futures mixed, GOOGL +5.5% pre-market after strong Q1 results.DXY recovers amid trade hopes, JPY weakens amid outflows from haven FX and despite hotter Tokyo CPI.Bonds trade rangebound as participants await further tariff updates.Crude modestly firmer, XAU slips given the positive risk tone and stronger USD.Looking ahead, BoE's Greene, ECB's Nagel, Rehn & Cipollone, Earnings from, SLB, AbbVie, Phillips 66 & Centene.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

記者団の取材に応じる岩屋毅外相、２５日、外務省岩屋毅外相は２５～５月４日の日程で、バチカンや米国などを歴訪する。 Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya will attend the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican on Saturday, the Foreign Ministry said Friday.

元慰安婦への賠償などを求め、在韓国日本大使館近くで行われた抗議活動、３月１９日、ソウル日本外務省は２５日、韓国の清州地裁で同日、日本政府に対し、原告である元慰安婦遺族に損害賠償を命じる判決が出されたと発表した。 A South Korean court Friday ordered the Japanese government to pay compensation to the family of a former "comfort woman," who provided sex to troops of the now-defunct Imperial Japanese military, Japan's Foreign Ministry said.

China has decided to impose sanctions on some United States lawmakers, government officials and heads of NGOs for their egregious actions on issues related to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.外交部周一表示，针对美方在涉香港特别行政区问题上的恶劣行径，中方决定对部分美国国会议员、政府官员及非政府组织负责人实施制裁。The move is in response to Washington's abuse of illegal and unilateral sanctions on officials representing the central government in Hong Kong and officials of the SAR government, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular news conference in Beijing.外交部发言人郭嘉昆在北京例行记者会上指出，此举是对华盛顿非法单边制裁中央政府驻港机构官员及香港特区官员的坚决回应。On March 31, the US Department of State announced its sanctions against six Chinese officials for allegedly "undermining Hong Kong's autonomy". The sanctions block any transactions on property, funds or deals within the US made by these individuals.3月31日，美国国务院以所谓"破坏香港自治"为由，宣布对六名中国官员实施制裁，冻结其在美国境内的财产交易及资金往来。"The US' unilateral sanctions gravely interfere in China's internal affairs, including Hong Kong affairs, and violate the principles of international law and basic norms governing international relations. China strongly condemns this despicable move," Guo said."美方单边制裁粗暴干涉中国内政，包括香港事务，严重违反国际法原则和国际关系基本准则。中方对此表示强烈谴责，并将坚决反制这种卑劣行径。"郭嘉昆强调。According to the spokesman, China's decision was made in accordance with the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, which was passed in 2021 to counter foreign sanctions. It gives China legal support and guarantee to counter discriminatory measures by a foreign country in accordance with the law.发言人表示，中方此次反制措施依据2021年通过的《反外国制裁法》实施。该法律为依法反制外国歧视性措施提供了法律支撑与制度保障。Guo reminded the US that Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong, and Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs, which "brook no US interference".郭嘉昆向美方严正重申，香港是中国的香港，香港事务纯属中国内政，"绝不容许任何外部势力干涉"。"Any wrong action taken by the US on Hong Kong-related issues will be met with a resolute response and reciprocal countermeasures by China," he said.他强调："美方在涉港问题上任何错误行径都将遭到中方坚决回应和对等反制。"impose sanctions实施制裁NGOs非政府组织；非政府机构egregious/ɪˈɡriːdʒiəs/adj.极坏的brook/brʊk/v.忍受；容忍interfere/ˌɪntəˈfɪə(r)/v.干预；干涉

Last time we spoke about Operation Nekka, the Invasion of Rehe Province. In 1932, the Kwantung Army eyed Rehe province as vital for Manchukuo's success. General Tang Yulin, ruling Rehe, initially favored Japanese interests due to economic ties, particularly in opium. Tensions escalated after a Japanese civilian was abducted, prompting military actions that led to skirmishes in Shanhaiguan. Amidst growing conflict, Zhang Xueliang mobilized forces against Tang, who eventually conceded. As Japan prepared for invasion, both sides strategized, with Chiang Kai-Shek reluctant to engage directly, fearing Japanese influence over his rivals. Operation Nekka commenced, showcasing the Kwantung Army's efficiency as they swiftly routed Chinese forces in Rehe. By March 4th, key passes were captured, but fierce resistance emerged. General Nishi faced counterattacks, leading to strategic retreats. Meanwhile, Chiang Kai-Shek struggled with internal conflicts while managing the Japanese threat. As the Kwantung Army pushed beyond the Great Wall, logistical issues arose, prompting political maneuvers to secure local warlord alliances. However, plans faltered when Zhang Qingyao, a potential ally, was assassinated.   #147 The Battle for the Great Wall of China Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Thus in the previous episode, Operation Nekka had been unleashed. The Kwangtung Army tossed 2 divisions into Rehe province with the intent of forcing its annexation into Manchukuo. They were under strict orders to not extend operations past the Great Wall of China. However they believed it was necessary to seize the main gateways along the Great Wall of China to establish their new borders, and in order to do so this absolutely required going past them. Yet military operations were not the only means to secure their goals. The Japanese forces faced significant logistical challenges, including a shortage of troops, having advanced into Rehe with only 20,000 men. Even the most resolute general in the Kwantung Army doubted that their military strength could prevail against the vast numbers of Chinese troops in the plains of Hubei. As a result, they needed to supplement their military efforts with political strategies targeting regional warlords. The tactic of bribing local elites had proven highly effective during the pacification of Manchuria, and there was no reason to think it wouldn't work in North China as well. All of these actions were carried out without any oversight from Tokyo headquarters.   On February 13, 1933, Itagaki Seishiro, who was then the head of the Mukden Special Service Agency, was transferred to the General Staff without any formal announcement of his promotion. He took up a position in Tientsin specifically to initiate political maneuvers in eastern Hubei, leading to the establishment of the Tientsin Special Service Agency. Initially, this agency sought to engage various competing warlords in North China, including Duan Qirui, Wu Peifu, and Sun Chuanfang, but eventually focused on Zhang Qingyao. Zhang had previously been a protégé of Duan Qirui, serving as the civil and military governor of Henan province. He had fought against Zhang Zuolin in 1925 before shifting his allegiance to Wu Peifu. During the second phase of the Northern Expedition, Zhang Qingyao again battled Zhang Zuolin, who was then in control of the National Pacification Army. After the Northern Expedition concluded, he allied with Yan Xishan's forces in Shanxi. So yeah it would seem he was not a man of principles nor loyalties of any kind. The Tientsin Special Service Agency initially aimed to approach Zhang Qingyao in hopes that he could orchestrate a coup d'état against Chiang Kai-Shek. They also hoped to persuade other figures such as Song Queyuan, Zhang Zuoxiang, Fang Chenwu, Xu Yusan, Zhang Tingshu, Sun Tienying, and Feng Zhanhai to join in. If successful, this could lead to a swift takeover of North China as they were advancing towards Peiping after taking the Great Wall. However, on May 7, Zhang Qingyao was assassinated, completely derailing their plans. With Zhang Qingyao dead, the agency concentrated their efforts instead to instigate riots in the Peiping-Tientsin region. They also began encouraging and propping up new political organizations that sought to form an independent northern regime. One scheme they were performing was to form a committee composed of Northern Warlords headed by Lu Zengyu, a banker who had studied in Japan. The idea was to form an anti-Chiang Kai-Shek coalition to carve out north china. The agency received a significant amount of funds to make ends meet. Itagaki alone would spend over 50,000 yen to try and bring about an anti-Chiang regime in the north. Some sources indicated over 3 billion yen being allocated to the IJA to be dished out to various Chinese warlords and elites in the form of bribes.  Meanwhile operations in the district east of the Luan River saw attacks formed against the Xumenzhai and Lengkou gateways. On April 1st, the Kwantung Army issued Order 491, seeing the Iwata detachment of the IJA 6th Division storm through the Xumenzhai gate and succeed in securing a supply route behind the great wall to help with the assaults against the other gateways in the region. By April 10th, the IJA 6th Division was making steady progress against the Lengkou gate. The next day they stormed through and captured Qienqangying, pursuing the retreating Chinese to the banks of the Luan River. Meanwhile the IJA 8th Division were facing a much more difficult situation. On the 12th, they captured Xifengkou, but their assault against Quehlingkou was going nowhere. After repeated assaults, the Chinese finally retreated, allowing the Japanese to focus on Taitouying. Thus from the 10th to the 23rd the gateways in northeastern Hubei were all falling into Japanese hands. The Kawahara Brigade was well on its way towards Nantienmen. The Operations within the Great Wall area had been fully authorized by Generals Nishi and Sakamoto. However there still existed limits upon the operations. For example, Operations order 495 issued by General Muto given on the 11th stated "Without specific orders, pursuit by the main force of ground troops is to be limited to the line connecting Hotung, Chiench'angying, and T'ait'ouying; but air units are to be limited to the Luan River."  Meanwhile the Special Service Agency in Tientsin had reported that Zhang Qingyao would stage a coup on the 21st and this prompted Song Queyuans troops to prevent the Central Army forces from fleeing towards Peiping. The Agency requested that the Kwantung Army not return to the Great Wall and instead perform a feint attack towards Peiping and Tientsin to scare the Chinese. As the plot was reaching its climax, on the 18th the Kwantung Army chief of staff, General Koiso Kuniaki issued a order for the 8th Division to strike in full force against the Gubeikou area. The Kwantung Army's plan was to bomb Miyun while launching their feint attack in combination with an all out effort to break Gubeikou. However on the night of the 18th, all of these plans changed dramatically. Suddenly General Muto issued Operations Order 498, hastily ordering all forces to withdraw to the Great Wall. Emperor Hirohito had decided to put his foot down. In Tokyo the emperor asked the vice chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant-General Mazaki Jinzaburö, "Has the Kwantung Army withdrawn from the Luan River line?" The vice chief retired from the imperial presence with a sense of guilt and wrote a confidential letter to the commander of the Kwantung Army. It was personally carried by Infantry Captain Katö [Michio] of the General Staff, who on April 19 arrived at the capital [of Manchukuo] bearing an imperial rescript. The vice chief also cabled to the chief of staff of the Kwantung Army a highly confidential dispatch, the main point of which stated, "Withdraw your troops immediately, or an imperial command will be issued." Thereupon the chief of staff of the Kwantung Army directed staff officer Endò Saburò to draft the withdrawal order. Thus as a result, the Kwantung Army began a withdrawal on the 21st, the same day the Peiping coup was to be unleashed. Those around Emperor Hirohito at this time have gone on the record to state it seemed to them, the emperor had hesitated heavily on issuing the withdrawal order. His motivations for giving the order are simply, the Kwantung Army had gone against his decrees, it was an identical situation to what had happened at Mukden in 1931. The Kwantung Army had no choice but to submit to what essentially was him “asking them to stop”. With that, operations east of the Luan River were over, for now. The order was certainly a critical blow to the Agency in Tientsin. How did they react? They doubled down on the coup effort. Likewise Koiso did not stop the 8th Division operation at Gubeikou. Instead the 8th Division was given orders "to maintain a menacing attitude toward hostile forces in North China." In accordance, the 3800 man Kawahara Brigade on direct orders from General Nishi, launched an attack against two Central Army Divisions numbered nearly 30,000 men stationed at Nantienmen. After a brutal week of battle the Kawahara Brigade seized the town. Meanwhile a battalion of 280 men led by Colonel Shimmura Eijiro attacked a central army force around 4000 strong at Xinglong. They suffered a 38% rate of casualties by the night of the 27th. The Battalion was nearly annihilated when suddenly the Chinese withdrew enabling the Japanese to slip by. Meanwhile the Piping coup did not materialize as planned on the 21st. Instead a secondary coup was initiated by Zhang Zuoxiang on the 26, but this misfired greatly. Reports began to emerge that troops led by Zhang Tingxu, Sun Tienying, Feng Zhanhai and Xu Yusan were willing to rebel in response to the failed coup attempts, but this proved completely false. A report issued on the 30th stated troops under Fang Chenwu were rebelling against Chiang Kai-Shek. However in reality Fang Chenwu only advanced his force north on May 10th and it was to join the anti-Japanese forces.  From mid April to mid May, the United States, Britain, France and Germany finally entered the fray in North China. It was an extremely chaotic situation for everyone. The Japanese military in Tokyo had no control nor idea what the Kwantung Army was doing, so when they tried to explain their actions to the international community, they continuously were walking over rakes. All the talk from Tokyo seemed incomprehensible to the other great powers. The Chinese were clamouring the entire time for a ceasefire agreement, but lacked the means to force the Japanese to do so. Japan had left the League of Nations, thus was extremely isolated and insecure in regards to foreign relations. Thus if a nation like Britain or the US had actually put their foot down, the Japanese more than likely would have backed off. Another element to this debacle was the stance of the Imperial Japanese Navy, who had made it adamantly clear they had zero intention of fighting off the British or Americans because of their unruly siblings within the Army. However, both Britain and America were too preoccupied with internal strife, mostly the result of the Great Depression, to devote considerable effort to the crisis in China. The League of Nations remained completely useless during the North China incident, similarly to how they were useless with the Manchurian incident. The Lytton Commission had performed an on the spot inquiry, and it did play a role in establishing a ceasefire by the time of the Shanghai incident, but did nothing to really help China. China had begun appealing to the League when Shanhaiguan was attacked and this prompted the nations of the league to rapidly agree to the Lytton Commission report's recommendations. In turn this led Matsuoka Yosuke to walk out on the league. With Japan out of the League, Wellington Koo proposed harsh sanctions upon Japan in response to their invasion of Rehe province. Yet they did nothing. China would continuously make pleas, but it was to no avail.  Rather than rely upon the League, the Chinese began secret talks with Japanese officials aiming first for a ceasefire. Tang Erho, Lee Shuzheng and Wang Komin attempted talks, but failed. Then Chen Yi the political vice minister of military affairs, secretly spoke with Nemoto Hiroshi, an army attache at the Shanghai legation on April 27th. They established negotiations with Nemoto speaking on behalf of the Kwantung Army and Chen Yi on behalf of Ho Yingqin. The Chinese were clearly more eager than the Japanese for a ceasefire, but the Japanese no longer had a rationale to continue their operation. Regardless the Japanese took the victors stance and demanded the Chinese withdraw from the battlefield as a prerequisite to further Japanese advances. In the first meeting, Nemoto told Chen that the Kwantung Army had already withdrawn from the area east of the Luan River to give Ho Yingqin an opportunity to consider a ceasefire. He described the action as a friendly gesture and suggested the Chinese reciprocate it by withdrawing their troops. Chen countered this by claiming Ho Yingqin had shown his own sincerity at the battle of Nantienmen by ordering his troops to withdraw to a second line of defense, hoping this would allow the Japanese to pull away from Nantienmen. However by May 1st, the Japanese claimed they had captured and secured Nantienmen, so Nemoto informed Chen the Chinese forces north of the Great Wall should withdraw to a line connecting Miyun, Pinkou, Yutien and the Luan River. On May 2nd, the Chinese sent a reply to this, completely ignoring the line idea and instead referred to the recent battle at Xinglong and explained the local commander there was eager for a victory and refused to withdraw despite being asked twice to do so. The Chinese also notified Nemoto that a Political affairs council headed by Huang Fu was being established at Peiping, and it should be through that body that further negotiations were held. The Japanese welcomed this development. Just as it seemed the Shanghai talks were paving a way to a ceasefire, the leadership of the Kwantung Army abandoned their political maneuvers in favor of a settlement. On April 30th the Tientsin Special Service Agency insisted to their Japanese colleagues, the Chinese were just buying time and not sincere in their actions. That same day the Army General Staff and Foreign Ministry suddenly refused to initiate a ceasefire on the grounds the Chinese had agreed to an armistice only to save face. Lt Colonel Nagatsu Sahishige, the army attache at Peiping urged the 8th Division to rapidly strike southwards as far as Miyun to annihilate He Yingqin's planned counteroffensive. Such an action would immediately threaten the Peiping-Tientsin region. To push the envelope, the Japanese could toss a new Division into the mix and force further negotiations when the Chinese withdrew south of Miyun. Clearly the Japanese had their eyes set on Miyun now. As such General Nishi was secretly told to capture it without any direction from Tokyo HQ, nor from most of the Kwantung Army leadership. The Operations department of the Kwantung Army also independently elected to move troops east of the Luan River again. They argued "the enemy again advances east of the Luan River and persists in its defiant attitude. Therefore we must again deal them a crushing blow." The IJA 6th Division had been evacuated to the Great Wall back on April 23rd and along the way were closely pursued by Chinese forces. General Sakamoto sent a plan to the Kwantung Army headquarters "to again drive the enemy west of the Luan River,". A lot of chaos was reigning within the Japanese military because they were in echo chambers and not relaying information to another. When the Kwantung Army Operations department suddenly proposed a new advance east of the Luan River, on May 2nd a heated exchange took place between them and the Kwantung Army Intelligence Section: “INTELLIGENCE SECTION: The defiant attitude of the enemy is a matter of degree. While it is indisputable that some of their forces continue defiant, their main force is still stationed west of the Luan River. Therefore, a defiant attitude on the part of the enemy is not sufficient reason to deal them a crushing blow. The Kwantung Army withdrew from the Luan River line only ten days ago. As we understand it, the purpose was to comply with the imperial wish. If the army begins operations on a flimsy pretext at this time, inviting intervention by the central leadership, how can the honor of the commander in chief be maintained? What we should now attack are rather the enemy forces facing the 8th Division. For this, we should employ additional strength. By dealing a severe blow to the Chinese Central Army forces in this area, we can threaten Peiping and the operation should be all the more effective.  OPERATIONS SECTION: Due to the limitations of our supply capacity, we cannot use more than a certain level of forces against the enemy facing the 8th Division. Since the enemy east of the Luan River maintains a defiant attitude, they must be punished regardless of their strength.  INTELLIGENCE SECTION: Since the seizure of Nant'ienmen the 8th Division lacks the capability of pursuing the enemy. This is an unavoidable consequence of the small strength of its force from the outset of the operation. Isn't the First [Operations] Section uncertain that the enemy can be defeated even by the main force of the 8th Division, and doesn't it intend ultimately to deploy the 6th Division southward in concert with action by the 8th Division? If this is the case, it is understandable, and this section is not necessarily against it.   OPERATIONS SECTION: That is not what this section is considering.  INTELLIGENCE SECTION: In that case, there is no clear justification for launching the operation. The objective of the operation must be plainly spelled out to all concerned, from His Majesty at the top down to the lowest private. There must not be the slightest doubt about it.” After this conversation the Intelligence department debated amongst themselves before relaying another response at midnight, ultimately not approving it. The next day the Operations department sent a telegram to the negotiations team in Peiping: “1) Under present conditions, the Kwantung Army has no intention of accepting a cease-fire proposal for the time being, particularly because there are signs suggesting intervention by third countries in the matter.  2) Previously the Kwantung Army suggested the Miyun-Yiit'ienLuan River line as the retreat line for the Chinese army; but this did not mean it was to be their front line after a cease-fire. It rather indicated a line to which the Chinese army should immediately and voluntarily retreat as evidence of their sincerity. In other words, a cease-fire cannot be negotiated until they retreat to this line and abandon their provocative attitude, and until this is confirmed by the Kwantung Army. Their mere retreat to the indicated line, in today's circumstances, is not sufficient reason for us to respond to the cease-fire proposal. According to Peking telegram 483 [not identified], it appears that the intentions of our army have been somewhat misunderstood. Even if the Chinese retreat to the indicated line and display the sincerity of their intentions, we may possibly demand a retreat line farther south. We believe negotiations in this region should be handled by the central leadership in Tokyo rather than by the Kwantung Army. Act on this understanding.”   So after this message, the Intelligence department accused the Operations department of trying to find any excuse to renew the advance and sent a wire to Nemoto on April 29th "If the Chinese suddenly perceive their mistake, . . . we will not make war for the fun of it." However the Intelligence department was suddenly overruled by Colonel Kita who cabled the negotiators that the Operations department now had full approval from Kwantung Army vice chief of staff Okamura Yasuji. When General Muto received this notice he questioned "This draft order, states that the enemy has moved into the region east of the Luan River and is showing a provocative attitude. I did not receive such a report from the Second [Intelligence] Section before my departure from Hsinching. Does this mean there has been a subsequent change in the situation?" After being informed more so, Muto simply stated he wished to wait until the chief of staff could speak to him. Obviously Muto was getting wet feet and did not want to perform any actions not in accordance with Tokyo HQ, as Emperor Hirohito had put his foot down.  On May 3rd, General Koiso and Operations Department staff officer Endo Saburo spoke with Muto, indicating they had approval of Tokyo HQ general staff and even the Emperor. So Muto relented for a second advance and issued Order 503 on May 3rd to the IJA 6th and 8th Divisions. Now the Army General Staff were dragged into the Kwantung Army's debacle fully. So they drew up an emergency draft plan for measures in North China. To this aim:  “Through continuing pressure by the military might of the Kwantung Army, applied in concert with various political measures in North China, the Chinese forces in North China are to be compelled to make a substantia] surrender or to dissolve, thereby resulting in the withdrawal of the Chinese army along the China-Manchukuo border and in the establishment of peace in this area”.  Added to this the General Staff suggested a large counteroffensive be driven along the Great Wall and a formal truce agreement should be concluded once three conditions had been met: “(a) that Chinese forces had retreated voluntarily south and west of a line connecting Hsuanhua, Shunyi, Sanho, Yüt'ien, Luanchou, and Lot'ing; (b) that anti-Japanese activities had been controlled; and (c) that the preceding had been verified by the Japanese army”. Under immense pressure from the renewed Japanese advance, the Chinese government on May 3rd, had pushed for a new body to tackle the North China situation. That was the Peiping Political Affairs Council. It was composed of 22 members, headed by Huang Fu. Huang Fu was notably a pro-Japanese official, having been a graduate of the Tokyo Land Survey department training institute and had served early as a minister of foreign affairs. Since China had zero faith anymore in the League of Nations and believed if they failed to resolve the North China issue, this all might see a new civil war break out between Chiang Kai-Shek and Wang Jingwei. Thus everyone felt the time for active resistance was over and they must place all their effort into negotiations. Chiang Kai-Shek placed a great amount of authority upon Huang Fu and trusted the man. Huang Fu began his new task by speaking with all the political and financial leaders from both sides of the conflict to see how a real ceasefire could be met through dealmaking.  Meanwhile on May 6th the IJA 6th Division unleashed a new offensive south of the Great Wall and were followed by the 8th Division on the 11th. General Muto at this time made public statements blaming the Chinese for the renewed hostilities, making it seem the Japanese had intended to stay within the Great Wall area. The 6th Division swept across the sector east of the Luan River and by the 11th the Chinese defensive line collapsed. On the 12th the 6th Division crossed the Luan River, pursuing Yu Xuechengs 51st Army. In turn this threatened He Yingqin's main force who were facing the 8th Division. In the previous battles, Yu Xuechengs men had performed quite poorly and now even under direct command of He Yingqin were proving themselves helpless against the 6th division. Additionally Itagaki's agency over in Tientsin were using radio facilities to dispatch false directives from Chinese high command, ordering the forces to retreat from the front battle line. Two to three Chinese divisions were neutralized by these fake radio messages and in turn the Chinese became very demoralized at their lines. The 8th division had driven into the Gubeikou area on the 11th and it took them only a day to dislodge the Chinese from their line near Xuxiachen. By the 13th Xuxiachen had fallen completely. On the 11th and 12th, Japanese aircraft began flying over Peiping, as a demonstration of the terror they could deliver to the city at any moment. These developments altogether were pushing the Chinese civilians to demand of their politicians and generals that they appease the Japanese. Huang Fu proposed to Nemoto on the 12th that all Chinese troops could be withdrawn from Miyun to a line extending from Shunyi to Yutien and Tangshan. This was an enormous concession and nearly mirrored the line the Japanese had demanded.  The Japanese however, rejected the concession. To make matters worse for the Chinese, He Yingqin had been notified of the large concession proposal in advance and expected the Japanese to take it. Thus he had refrained from operating in strength at Miyun and did not significantly defend the path towards Peiping. It was the belief of the Japanese commanders, if they performed a full-scale attack towards Peiping now, He Yingqin would have no choice but to withdraw towards Shunyi. With this in mind the Japanese made a proposal on the 14th:  “1) According to the reports of the Peiping military attaché, the 8th Division should be prepared to advance in a single sweep to the southern limit of Miyun, if it is deemed necessary. Preparations for this attack should be expedited.  2) In conjunction with the above, front-line aircraft should take actions implying that a major Japanese offensive is about to begin.  3) In Tokyo, it should be announced publicly, in liaison with the Foreign Ministry, that the security of Jehol province cannot be guaranteed as long as the Chinese army remains in Miyun. Furthermore, every so often Japanese aircraft should make demonstration flights over the Shunyi-T'ungchou area.” Confronted with this, the Chinese were pretty screwed. The Chinese negotiations team were frantically searching for any way to force a ceasefire. Then the secretary of the Shanghai legation, Suma Yakichiro showed up to Peiping, which the Chinese viewed as a golden opportunity. The Chinese complained to him that the Kwantung Army had resumed their offensive and that a political agency in Tientsin were trying to enact coups. Suma bluntly told them the Japanese actions were backed fully by Tokyo and despite the Chinese belief that this was false or that Japan was facing a major financial deficit, this was all untrue.  While the dialogue continued to go nowhere, the 6th division had pursued the Chinese forces to the vicinity of Fengjun. Muto believed this had gone to far so he issued orders on May 13th limiting operations to the area north of a line connecting Miyun, Pingkou, Fegjun and Yungping. Now the 6th and 8th divisions were to assemble around Xuxiachen and Zunhua. Two days later he issued this statement to the public "If the Chinese army immediately abandons its hitherto provocative attitude and withdraws some distance from the border, our army will quickly return to the line of the Great Wall and pursue its regular task of maintaining security in Manchukuo." Likewise Muto ordered the Tientsin group to inform the Chinese that the Kwantung Army would return to the Great Wall if the Chinese forces retreated to the Shunyi-Yutien-Tangshan line. Nemoto forwarded all of this to Chen Yi. On May 15th He Yingqin ordered the withdrawal of the Chinese forces to a line between Malanyu, Linnantsang and Pamencheng.  With what seemed a imminent ceasefire at hand, the Kwantung Army HQ ordered the 6th and 8th divisions to take up positions strategically favorable for the negotiations to finally begin in ernest. On the 17th a draft ceasefire plan was drawn up. It envisioned the withdrawal of the Chinese forces to the Shunyi-Yutien-Tangshan line and in return the Japanese would pull back to the Great Wall area. Huang Fu was on his way back to Peiping from Shanghai for probably the 10th time in two weeks, when the Japanese captured Fengjun and Zhunhua, routing the Chinese across the Qi Canal to the right bank of the Pai River. The 6th Division then advanced towards Yutien and Xumenchen as the 8th division stood around Xuxiachn. When the Chinese began retreating from Miyun on May 18th, the 8th division suddenly converged upon Miyun. Muto was of course delighted by their new advantageous position and even briefly began talking to his colleagues about the prospect of just marching upon Peiping. Instead he decided to sweep through Miyun, Pingku and the Qi Canal, going even further west than he had stated he would back on the 13th.  With these new orders in hand, the 6th Division quickly captured Qixien on the 19th and further pursued retreating Chinese forces to Sanho. The 8th Division entered Miyun and two days later began advancing to Huaijou. By the 23rd Huaijou had fallen as the 6th Division reached the Qi Canal. These advances threatened the Peiping-Tientsin region. Both Japanese divisions halted on the 25th as the ceasefire was issued. With that last strike Muto felt he had significantly increased their poker hand going forward. Meanwhile Itagaki's team at Tientsin were still trying to bring about a coup. In tandem with the 8th Divisions attack on Miyun, the agency tried to engineer a revolt by the militia troops led by Song Queyuan, Fang Chenwu, Sun Tienying, amongst others. The idea was for these forces to occupy Peiping while wrecking havoc upon the Chinese central army within th region. The agency had attempting recruiting Wu Peifu, but the old jade marshal was unwilling, so they turned to this former protege, the chairman of Hubei, Yu Xuecheng. However he also declined. Yu Xuecheng was also approached by Hu Hanmin, looking to form an anti-Chiang Kai-Shek campaign in cooperation with Han Fuqu and Feng Yuxiang. To this Yu Xuecheng declined as well. Itagaki kept searching for disgruntled warlords, and then turned to Li Qiashan and Xu Yusan. Xu Yusan was a former ally to Feng Yuxiang with a history of anti-Chiang Kai-Shek actions. If they got the backing of his personal army, roughly 10,000 men strong at Tangshan they could do some real damage. On May 16th Xu Yusan declared independence and took up the Manchukuo 5 color flag in direct opposition to the Kuomintang. He began issuing the slogan “Hubi for the people of Hubei” as his army marched west along the Peiping-Shanhaiguan railway. His force reached the vicinity of Tangu whereupon they had increased to 30,000 and rumors emerged they would occupy Tientsin. This began a mass panic. . . for literally a day. His army collapsed into nothing more than a rabble as now had the stomach to actually fight their fellow countrymen.  Despite this grand failure, the Tientsin group continued with other plots. At 8 pm on May 19th, a Peiping bound train from Tangu, carrying Chinese soldiers was bombed around Tientsin station. The Japanese love bombing trains as we all know. This resulted in small incidents involving Japanese and Chinese officials, giving precedent for 600 Japanese troops led by Lt General Nakamura Kotaro to reinforce Tientsin on May 23rd. There were a few other incidents were supposedly Chinese agents were tossing grenades at Japanese officials. One of these officials was Major Mori Takeshi of the Japanese Army General Staff who was working in Tientsin. However the grenade thrown at him was a dud, and before the Japanese could seize it, some local Chinese grabbed it, finding a stamp on it bearing “Tokyo Artillery Arsenal”, oops.  These numerous incidents influenced the Chinese who feared Japan was trying to force an invasion into North China. To these rumors, He Yingqin insisted they mount a proper defense of Peiping, but many were arguing they had to further retreat. Meanwhile the Tientsin agency was told to stop performing incidents and instead secure northern warlords to their future cause. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The battle for the Great Wall of China was coming to a bitter end for the Chinese forces. The Japanese were using every deceptive measure to edge further and further into China proper. It seemed clear to the Chinese, nothing would stop Japanese encroachment upon their nation, while the rest of the world simply watched on doing nothing. 

China has urged the United States to cancel its unilateral tariffs as quickly as possible, and get back on track to properly address differences through equal dialogue.中国敦促美方尽快取消单边关税，回到通过平等对话妥善处理分歧的正轨上来。If the US stubbornly pursues its course of a trade war, China will "fight till the end" to defend its legitimate rights and interests, Chinese officials said on Thursday.中国官员周四表示，如果美方一意孤行地打贸易战，中方将“誓死捍卫自身合法权益”。They didn't specify whether Beijing will again raise tariffs on US goods, which now stand at an additional 84 percent, in response to the latest decision by the US on Wednesday to raise the tariff on Chinese imports to 125 percent.中国官员并未具体说明北京是否会再次提高对美商品的关税。目前，美国对华商品的关税已高达84%，以回应美方周三将对华进口商品的关税提高至125%。The China Film Administration said on Thursday evening that the country—the world's second-largest film market—will moderately reduce the imports of US films.中国国家电影局周四晚间表示，作为全球第二大电影市场，中国将适度减少美国电影的进口。"The US government's abuse of tariffs against China will inevitably lead to a further decline in the favorable perception of US films among the Chinese audience," the administration said in an online statement. "We will adhere to the law of the market and respect the choices of the audience, and moderately reduce the number of US films imported."国家电影局发布声明表示：“美国政府滥用关税对华政策，必然导致中国观众对美国电影的好感度进一步下降。我们将遵循市场规律，尊重观众选择，适度减少美国电影的进口数量。”He Yongqian, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Commerce, said at a news conference on Thursday, "Our position is consistent and clear—the door to dialogue is open, but any discussions must be conducted on the basis of mutual respect and equality."中国商务部发言人何永乾周四在新闻发布会上表示：“中方立场是一贯和明确的——对话的大门是敞开的，但任何讨论都必须在相互尊重和平等的基础上进行。”However, she stressed the abuse of pressure, threats and extortion is not the way to engage with China.但她强调，滥用施压、威胁和勒索并非与中国交往之道。"We hope that the two countries will meet each other halfway and work toward resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, guided by the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation," she added.她补充道：“我们希望两国相向而行，在相互尊重、和平共处、合作共赢的原则指导下，通过对话协商解决分歧。”She noted that the current bonded policies in the special supervision areas of China's free trade zones will still be applicable for US goods, specifying that taxes will still need to be duly paid once the US goods depart the designated areas and enter the Chinese market for sales.她指出，中国自贸区特殊监管区域内的现行保税政策仍将适用于美国商品，并明确规定美国商品离开指定区域进入中国市场销售后仍需按时缴纳税款。US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was pausing his new tariffs for 90 days except on China.美国总统唐纳德·特朗普周三表示，他将暂停对除中国以外的所有国家征收新关税90天。Trump said on social media that he had "authorized a 90-day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10 percent, also effective immediately". He did not specify which countries the pause would apply to, but he was clear that the levies would climb for China.特朗普在社交媒体上表示，他已“授权暂停90天，并在此期间大幅降低10%的对等关税，同样即日生效”。他没有具体说明暂停措施将适用于哪些国家，但他明确表示，对中国的关税将有所提高。Gary Winslett, an assistant political science professor at Middlebury College in Vermont, said: "The 90-day pause is a step in the right direction, but the trade war with China is still bad, the universal 10 percent tariff is even worse, the on-again-off-again approach is bad for investment and jobs, and we further undermined geopolitical leadership with nothing to show for it."佛蒙特州明德学院政治学助理教授加里·温斯莱特表示：“90天的暂停是朝着正确方向迈出的一步，但与中国的贸易战本身依然有害，10%的普遍关税更糟糕，反复无常的政策令投资与就业环境雪上加霜，我们的地缘领导力也在不断被削弱。”Analysts noted that the Trump administration's 10 percent base tariff is still in place, suggesting that more rounds of tariff negotiations are ahead. The White House said that over 70 countries had come forward to negotiate tariffs this week.分析人士指出，特朗普政府10%的基准关税仍然有效，这表明未来还有更多轮关税谈判。白宫表示，本周已有超过70个国家提出就关税进行谈判。Luo Zhenxing, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of American Studies, said that the US' selective approach to different countries allows Washington to maintain its image, as removing tariffs across the board could be seen as a setback. In addition, it shows that the Trump administration is using tariffs as a tool and weapon, likely targeting China, Luo added.中国社会科学院美国研究所副研究员罗振兴表示，美国对不同国家采取选择性措施，有助于维护自身形象，因为全面取消关税可能会被视为一种挫败。此外，这也表明特朗普政府正在将关税作为一种工具和武器，可能用于针对中国。Such moves by the US have severely disrupted the global trade system. Regardless of future policy directions, key global trade principles like the WTO's nondiscrimination rule have been significantly undermined, potentially leading to a restructuring of global trade and even global financial systems, Luo said.罗振兴表示，美国的此类举动严重扰乱了全球贸易体系。无论未来的政策走向如何，像世贸组织非歧视性规则这样的关键全球贸易原则都已受到严重破坏，这可能导致全球贸易乃至全球金融体系的重组。Lin Jian, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, told a news conference on Thursday that China will never allow the international economic and trade rules and the multilateral trading system to be undermined.外交部发言人林剑周四在新闻发布会上表示，中国绝不允许国际经贸规则和多边贸易体制受到破坏。The US is placing its own interests above the legitimate interests of the rest of the world, sacrificing the just interests of all countries to serve its hegemonic ambitions, Lin said, adding that this will inevitably face stronger opposition from the international community.林坚表示，美国将自身利益置于世界其他国家的合法利益之上，为了实现其霸权野心不惜牺牲所有国家的正当利益，这必将遭到国际社会的强烈反对。China and the European Union have recently exchanged views on strengthening economic and trade cooperation in response to US tariff hikes.中国与欧盟近期就加强经贸合作应对美国加征关税交换了意见。The latest move came as Commerce Minister Wang Wentao held a video call on Tuesday with European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic, during which they discussed various issues, including enhancing China-EU economic and trade cooperation and responses to the US imposition of so-called "reciprocal tariffs", according to a statement released by the Commerce Ministry on Thursday.据中国商务部周四发布的声明，商务部长王文涛周二与欧盟贸易和经济安全委员谢夫乔维奇举行视频通话，就加强中欧经贸合作、应对美国加征所谓“对等关税”等议题进行了讨论。Wang said that under current circumstances, China and the EU jointly upholding the rules-based multilateral trading system and staying committed to trade liberalization and facilitation will "inject more stability and certainty into the global economic and trade landscape".王文涛表示，在当前形势下，中欧共同维护基于规则的多边贸易体制，坚持贸易自由化便利化，将“为全球经贸格局注入更多稳定性和确定性”。According to the statement, the two sides agreed to immediately start negotiations on electric vehicle pricing commitments, and resume the China-EU trade remedy dialogue mechanism.声明称，双方同意立即启动电动汽车价格承诺谈判，并重启中欧贸易救济对话机制。The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said on Thursday that China has the chance to establish a business environment that can provide the stability and reliability that investors require.中国欧盟商会周四表示，中国有机会建立一个能够为投资者提供所需稳定性和可靠性的营商环境。On the contrary, the US is now rolling back on many of the principles that have underpinned its approach to global trade and investment, which has created unprecedented global economic uncertainty, the chamber said.该商会表示，相比之下，美国目前正在放弃其全球贸易和投资方针的许多原则，这造成了前所未有的全球经济不确定性。retaliationn.报复sanctionn.制裁levyv.征税equal dialogue平等对话hegemonicadj.霸权的multilateral trading system多边贸易体制

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Ichha Sharma.Today is the 11th of April and here are this week's headlines.The US officially enforced a sweeping 104% tariff on all Chinese imports starting Wednesday, escalating its trade confrontation with Beijing. This move follows President Trump's ultimatum to China to withdraw its retaliatory 34% tariffs. China hit back sharply at Washington's escalating trade war rhetoric, saying it does not seek conflict but won't tolerate bullying either. US further escalated the situation with its decision to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to 125% while pausing tariffs for other nations. Responding to this, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing, “This cause will not win popular support and will end in failure.” Lin emphasized that Beijing will defend its people's rights, signaling that retaliatory action may still be on the table. Meanwhile, Asian markets surged on news of the 90-day tariff pause for other countries, with Japan's Nikkei 225 soaring 8%, South Korea's Kospi rising over 5%, and Australia's ASX 200 up 5% in early trading.In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court declared Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi's decision to reserve 10 re-passed Bills for Presidential consideration as illegal. The court held that the Governor showed scant respect for judicial precedent and unduly delayed action. Using Article 142, the bench declared that the 10 Bills are deemed to have received assent, overriding the governor's withholding. This rare step sends a strong message about constitutional propriety and reinforces legislative autonomy amid growing tensions between elected governments and appointed constitutional heads.The Reserve Bank of India has slashed the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6% in its latest monetary policy review. This signals lower interest rates on home, personal, and auto loans soon. The Monetary Policy Committee also shifted its stance from "neutral" to "accommodative," hinting at more rate cuts ahead. GDP growth for 2025–26 has been revised down to 6.5% from 6.7%, while retail inflation is projected at 4%. Lower rates aim to boost borrowing and spending amid slowing economic momentum.Russia has formally invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend its Victory Day Parade on May 9, commemorating 80 years since the end of World War II. Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko confirmed that the invitation has been sent, and the visit is under discussion. The gesture comes after Moscow confirmed President Putin's scheduled visit to India later this year. Russia has extended invitations to several “friendly nations,” reinforcing diplomatic ties amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. Modi's participation would signify India's balancing act in global power dynamics.A deadly Israeli airstrike hit a residential building in northern Gaza's Shijaiyah neighborhood on Wednesday, killing at least 23 people, including eight women and eight children, according to officials at Al-Ahly Hospital. The Gaza Health Ministry confirmed the toll and said rescue teams were still searching through rubble for survivors. Nearby buildings were also damaged, according to Gaza's civil defense, which operates under the Hamas-run government. The strike is the latest in a wave of intensifying attacks, as the humanitarian crisis worsens in the besieged Palestinian enclave with no signs of a ceasefire in sight.This was the CatchUp on 3 Things by The Indian Express.

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.Today is the 10th of April and here are today's headlines.China Pushes Back Against U.S. Tariffs, Warns of ConsequencesChina hit back sharply at Washington's escalating trade war rhetoric, saying it does not seek conflict but won't tolerate bullying either. Responding to the U.S. decision to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to 125% while pausing tariffs for other nations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing, “This cause will not win popular support and will end in failure.” Lin emphasized that Beijing will defend its people's rights, signaling that retaliatory action may still be on the table. Meanwhile, Asian markets surged on news of the 90-day tariff pause for other countries, with Japan's Nikkei 225 soaring 8%, South Korea's Kospi rising over 5%, and Australia's ASX 200 up 5% in early trading.India Steers Clear of U.S. Tariff Clash, Eyes Fall Trade PactIndia responded cautiously as U.S. President Donald Trump announced a temporary suspension of his sweeping reciprocal tariffs, which went into effect Wednesday. Just hours before the announcement, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed that India is actively engaging with Washington to finalize a bilateral trade agreement by the fall. Speaking at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit, Jaishankar avoided directly commenting on Trump's controversial statements about trade partners, saying only, “We've been constructive in our engagement, and so have they.” India appears to be walking a fine line—avoiding confrontation while quietly working to secure a stable trade relationship.Tahawwur Rana Extradited from U.S., Special Prosecutor AppointedIndia has taken a key step toward justice in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case. The Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday night appointed a special public prosecutor for a three-year term to lead the prosecution of Tahawwur Rana, who is being extradited from the United States. Sources confirmed that a senior team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and intelligence services has taken custody of Rana, who is expected to arrive in Delhi by Thursday. Rana is accused of aiding the planning of the deadly 2008 attacks in Mumbai, which left more than 160 people dead.Kashmir Cleric Says Police Blocked Religious Meet Over Waqf ActMirwaiz Umar Farooq, the prominent religious leader and head of the Muttahida Majlis Ulema (MMU), accused Jammu and Kashmir police of halting a planned meeting of clerics at his Srinagar residence. The gathering was meant to discuss concerns over the Waqf Act, which governs religious endowments in the region. Calling the police action unjust, Mirwaiz said religious leaders must be allowed to deliberate peacefully. He added that a joint resolution would be read in mosques across the Valley on Friday. The MMU also pledged support to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board's legal challenge to the Act.Israeli Airstrike Kills 23 in Gaza as Conflict DeepensA deadly Israeli airstrike hit a residential building in northern Gaza's Shijaiyah neighborhood on Wednesday, killing at least 23 people, including eight women and eight children, according to officials at Al-Ahly Hospital. The Gaza Health Ministry confirmed the toll and said rescue teams were still searching through rubble for survivors. Nearby buildings were also damaged, according to Gaza's civil defense, which operates under the Hamas-run government. The strike is the latest in a wave of intensifying attacks, as the humanitarian crisis worsens in the besieged Palestinian enclave with no signs of a ceasefire in sight.That's all for today. This was the CatchUp on 3 Things by The Indian Express.

Gaza suffers as children and aid workers killed in Israeli bombardment "Tragedy deepens in Gaza as at least 322 children have been killed and 609 wounded in the past 10 days, UNICEF reports, after Israel resumed attacks. ""Children have again been plunged into deadly violence,"" warns UNICEF's Catherine Russell. Separately, Gaza's media office confirms 1,513 humanitarian workers killed in Israel's relentless bombardment. Meanwhile, The Palestinian presidency condemns forced evacuations in Rafah, calling them a violation of international law. Israel and Hamas remain at odds over key conditions, including prisoner releases and military withdrawal." French court bans Marine Le Pen from office over EU funds scandal "French political circles are in turmoil. Marine Le Pen's electoral ambitions face a stunning blow as a court imposes a five-year ban after she was found guilty of embezzling European Union funds. International figures, including US President Donald Trump and his billionaire supporter Elon Musk, decry the ruling as politically motivated. Le Pen vows to appeal, insisting she's ""eliminated,"" not defeated. Her National Rally party now weighs its options, with 29-year-old protege and the party leader Jordan Bardella potentially stepping into the spotlight." Myanmar declares national mourning as earthquake deaths surpass 2,000 "Myanmar declared a week of national mourning on Monday following a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that claimed over 2,000 lives. The ruling junta announced flags would fly at half-mast until April 6 in honour of the victims. Rescue efforts have slowed in Mandalay, the worst-hit city, as fears of aftershocks persist. Thousands are still living on the streets, and with communication networks disrupted, the true scale of the disaster remains uncertain. At least 3,900 people are injured, and hundreds are still missing." Khamenei warns Trump that Iran will retaliate firmly against aggression "Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, responded sharply to US President Donald Trump's threat of ""bombing,"" warning that any external aggression would prompt a ""firm retaliatory blow."" Addressing a congregation in Tehran, Khamenei emphasised Iran's readiness for any confrontation. Meanwhile, Iran rejected direct talks with the US but remains open to indirect negotiations. Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned Trump's remarks as a “shocking affront to international peace.”" France fines Apple over its app tracking transparency practices "French antitrust authorities have slapped Apple with a $162 million fine over its App Tracking Transparency or ATT feature. The watchdog argued that the implementation of ATT was excessive and harmed third-party publishers. The system, which debuted in 2021, requires users to opt-in before tracking across apps, with critics accusing Apple of using it to promote its own advertising. Despite the fine, Apple maintained the feature gives users greater control over privacy and has strong support globally. Investigations are ongoing in several European countries."

Seoul expresses deep regret over Japanese textbooks claiming sovereignty over Dokdo작성자: 최정윤, Tannith Kriel기사 요약: 일본이 "독도는 일본 땅"이라는 내용 담은 교과서를 전국적으로 배포하면서 한국 외교부가 유감 표현[1] Seoul's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday expressed “deep regret” over Tokyo's recent approval of school textbooks reinforcing its territorial claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo.regret: 유감 / 후회하다, 안타깝게 생각하다reinforce: 강화하다, 증강하다territorial: 영토의, 세력권을 주장하는[2] Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology approved 31 school textbooks in the social studies category, which includes geography and history, that contain “unfair claims” over Dokdo.contain: 포함하고 있다, 방지하다unfair: 부당한[3] The textbooks, which label Dokdo as “Japan's sovereign territory” will be distributed for use at high schools across the country from 2026.sovereign: 군주, 통치권이 있는distribute: 배포하다, 유통하다,[4] In response to Tokyo's decision announced earlier in the day, Seoul's Foreign Ministry released a statement saying that it would not condone any sovereignty claims by Japan about Dokdo and called for the authorities to make corrections of such contents in the textbookcondone: 용납하다기사 원문: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10449939

外務省は３０日、大規模地震に見舞われたミャンマーの第２の都市マンダレーで崩壊した建物に住んでいた日本人の成人１人と連絡が取れなくなっていると明らかにした。 A Japanese adult living in a building that collapsed in Mandalay, central Myanmar, has been unaccounted for, Japan's Foreign Ministry said Sunday.

China has expressed its readiness to do its best to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to quake-hit regions in Myanmar. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Myanmar is China's friendly neighbor and China is closely following the situation after the earthquake.

The first Ishara open  House Challenge .Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.Odd Happenings{8:58 am, Wednesday, Sept. 3rd ~ 5 Days to go; the Final Salvo ~ at this time}I had deposited my Mother in the place I felt was safest for her   with OT (Oyuun T m rbaatar) at the Kazakhstan's UN mission. Her being my family was what mattered to them most. I picked her up on my way to work, which made my entrance into the lobby all that much more cataclysmic.I was traveling light with only Wiesława Živa providing me with security. Chaz, Pamela and Juanita were catching up with their sleep, with a promise of taking me out for a late lunch. That was really them telling me to not leave JIKIT until they came for me around 2:00 pm.So anyway, me, Mom and Wiesława walked into the ground floor of the Mil Ma Towers to find eleven people waiting on us. We were in downtown Manhattan in a part of town the NYPD paid particular attention to. What could go wrong, right? Two of the people were Amazons from Havenstone. With them were two fine young men from the US 'don't make me kill you' Department. By this time in my life I was sure they had one   which no one talked about.Five of my expectant visitors were of the same mold as those who protected Hana for me. Not the Ghost Tigers   that would have put me at ease. Sure, they were a gang of assassin and in this circumstance; I would have preferred them. As it was, ten sets of highly-trained Illuminati operative eyes kept me, my party and the four guardians of JIKIT in their overlapping fields of vision.The last two, were doing an impromptu family reunion. They were Aunts 'X' and 'Y', and neither of them smelled like fish, or crab."Aunt Deidre," I tossed out there. "What brings you here today?"It looked like clobbering time! No. Wait. Neither Mom, nor my aunts, were saying anything and they were normally so verbose."Sibeal.""Imogen.""Sibeal, you are looking surprisingly well for a dead woman," the other one said."Deidre, you are looking surprisingly alive for someone who deserves to be dead," Mom bantered back."How long have you known about this?" Imogen's eyes flickered my way."Not long, a while, more than a day, ah, take your pick," I mumbled. I decided to turn that frown aka 'my gut wrenching terror that my Mother was about to die' upside down aka ramped up my sexy, 'glad to see you in a totally incestuous way'."So, what brings you here today and why aren't you waiting upstairs with the rest of my band of cutthroats, malcontents and ne'er do-wells? Oh, and I'm happy to see both of you." Karma was about to bitch-slap the shit out of me and it was so well deserved."I'm pregnant," Imogen studied my reaction. Yeah, I had banged her after Deidre, but before Baibre because I am a fucking reprehensible human being and sometimes, I feel I am utterly irredeemable."Great news," I exhaled. I so wanted to ask 'so, who is the father?' except that was too cruel, even for an O'Shea.No one stopped me from stepping up and hugging her. Everyone in the lobby had heard her loud and clear. Anyone who knew me, or even about me, knew she wasn't passing on the information because Imogen liked sharing good news. I kept my hands on her hips while I leaned my torso back until we could make eye contact."Does Granddad know?" It occurred to me in that second that Pamela was going to kick herself for missing this and the opportunity to kick me as well."I told him over the phone. His reaction was neutral," she responded."Whoa, girl? Boy? How are you doing? When are we going to sit down and figure out a name? Is there anything I can do for you?""Come home with me," she suggested."No," Mom snapped. "Next time he steps into your custody, we all know you won't let him get away." She meant the plane trip to Ireland."No, Mom," I countered. "I'm a grown man now and I make my own decisions. That being said   no, I'm not going home with you.""Not only am I still in love with the concept of my personal freedom, I have important work to do. People are counting on me.""We are counting on you too," Deidre stated. "In fact, that is the other reason we came here. We need you.""Why do I feel that has to do with something besides sex?""Can we talk to you in private?" Imogen requested. There were a thousand and one reasons to say 'no'. Things like 'common sense', bad behavior   they had murdered my homicidal uncle   and the fact they were as morally twisted as their creator. Oh   and they were hot and I hadn't been laid in forever."Sure. Let's go upstairs. You can have your people sweep the room to ensure our privacy then the four of us can sit down and have a family chat," I offered."We don't want her in the room," Deidre indicated Mom."We are a package deal," I denied her. "Like her, or not, she is as much family to me as you both are."They consented far too fast. Either I was falling into their masterful trap, or something horrible had happened. Neither options was palatable to me. The bodyguards departed, Wiesława last of all."What's gone wrong?" Mom preempted me. Her sisters glared."Father's body is not his own," Imogen told us. I was trying to figure out the relevance of that when Mom gasped."Oh fuck," she said in a small voice. "No serum?" Oh yeah, the refinement of those addictive pheromones Grandpa Cáel had gifted me with. Whatever flesh-form he currently inhabited wasn't one containing his genetic make-up meaning,"Oh shit," I mumbled. "What can I do?""Yes," Deidre replied to Mom."Let them die," Mom insisted (to me). Less I forget, she was raised by Grandpa Cáel too. Her being a loving mother to me didn't translate over to her being a humanitarian of any kind."The Hell you say," I jumped up and stared down at Mom. "You hate them. I don't. Letting them die makes me worse than him." Grandpa."So you will help us?" Deidre moved to the edge of her seat."Okay. This is the point where I threaten you into making some concessions, we argue then you eventually cave in because no matter how terrible your futures look, you aren't willing to give up on living. None of that is going to happen. What do you need from me?""Come back with us to Ireland so we can finish our experiments," Imogen joined me in standing. Unwilling to give her sister any physical advantage, Mom stood as well."No. That isn't even a believable lie," I scolded her. "You don't need to blackmail me into helping you. I'll do it gladly. That doesn't mean I'll let you trick me into doing something stupid. I do 'stupid' all the time. I'm accustomed to it and I know it when its ugly head rises up before me. Try again.""We could pick a neutral location," Deidre suggested."How about Havenstone?" They didn't look like that plan was even worthy of their consideration. "Imogen, inside you is growing a possible heir to House Ishara. An attack on you would be an attack on Ishara. Barring you betraying the Amazons, you would be perfectly safe.""Wonderful," Mom's sarcasm dripped off every word. "I'm going to be a grandmother to my nephew while my son is bringing a child into the world that can double as his cousin.""That sound pretty horrible, Mom. It is the truth, but it still sounds pretty terrible."While those words tumbled out of my mouth, I did a little soul back-searching. How in the fuck was   outside of the actual fucking   was Imogen pregnant? My existence was a freaking fluke of nature. A few words were bandied about the room while I was lost in deductive reasoning and turning hunches into assumptions and turning those into reasonable mystic hypotheses.I created the Mojo-Little Engine that thought it could. Specifically, the legacy of Vranus. Legions of little Vranusian sperm had been jumping hurdle after hurdle to keep the faith alive   that Vranus would meet his Ancestors with his mission accomplished. I was already half way there.Still, the legacy of Vranus and the hopes of Dot Ishara hadn't stopped in their struggle just because I had been born. They were still trying to restore the mortal descendants of a Dead House. They were also still spiritually pushing me on to fulfill his last command   to save the Arinniti sons.I was halfway there by returning the offspring of Bolu, Vranus' fellow guardian, back to the fold. It remained for me to round up the purpose of the whole mission in the first place. My semen weren't taking a chance that I could get gakked before that was accomplished. Having knocked up an augur despite the toxic soup she called blood should have been a dire warning to me, I'm an idiot.When the curse of Sarrat Irkalli clashed with the actions of Dot Ishara, Ishara had won. Sarrat Irkalli sought to deny Alal any children of his own. Dot was insisting the male line of Vranus Ishara continue on. The end result was Alal received his long-denied grandson, who just happened to also want him dead because of a feud that stretched back over two millennia.As an added insult, his grandson then knocked up one of Alal's genetically manipulated daughters, again giving him something he couldn't accomplish on his own   heirs   grand-sons and  daughters, most who would also want to kill him, being Amazons and members of the 9 Clans after all. Why? Cause Goddesses are bitches, that's why.That got me to wondering when would be the next time I was going to meet Ishara. I hadn't suffered severe head trauma in while and she was overdue for some snuggle time, witty banter and a fortune cookie. I'd try to be careful. It wouldn't do any good, but I had to try."Why are you crying?" Mom touched my arm."No reason," I lied."Why don't we make plans for tonight?" Deidre insinuated herself next to me. "We'd like to meet Hana. From what I understand, Father likes her.""No can-do," I sniffled. "I've got an orgy with 159 women at 8 o'clock, except there won't be any sex, or fun of any kind. Basically, I have to convince a roomful of women to not beat me up and take my stuff.""You don't have to go," Imogen had finished boxing me in   I had a chair behind me and Momma-clones all around."For the same reason I'm going to take care of our child, Imogen, I have to go to this meeting. People are counting on me to do the right thing without telling me what the right thing to do is.""That's unfair," Deidre empathized by stroking my chest."Not so. This is just another day in the life of a new hire at Havenstone Commercial Investments. Every day is like this and in five more days, the real fun beings." That wasn't entirely accurate. I had one good, stress-free week. It was when Carrig put me in a coma. That week I had done pretty well for myself.{9:28 am, Wednesday, Sept. 3rd ~ 5 Days to go}I trundled my latest 'Assistant-in-Charge of keeping the hopes of future Isharans alive' (I didn't want to call Aunt Imogen, or any other woman, my 'Baby-Mamma'), along with Mom and Deidre, for a meet-and-greet with Buffy. I had spelled out in no uncertain terms that Buffy was the power behind the Ishara Throne and thus making 'her' believe they were playing on the up-and-up was their best hope for easing relations between the O'Shea and the Amazon Host.After they left me (with the assurance we'd be getting back together for lunch, with Hana), I made three calls. I needed to make a formal request to Katrina (any Illuminati member(s) entering any Amazon facility was her purview) and another to Elsa (as a sign of respect) that Aunt Imogen and two unarmed bodyguards, max, needed to see our medicos about a delicate issue.The third call was to Buffy to enlighten her as to both the arrival of another one of my aunts (so we needed to get along peacefully with her) and that Aunt Imogen was carrying yet another potential heir to House Ishara. I suggested it would be a symbolic gesture if a member of House Ishara could hang around for the visit, as it might impress upon Imogen our House had a vested interest in keeping her alive."Another one?" Buffy sizzled. "And this one is your aunt?""It is a date then," I stumped her."You are going to take your pregnant aunt out on a date?" Buffy's sizzle meter was rapidly climbing to Krakatoa proportions."Nope. I'm setting up a date for us. You, me and a quiet location at 12:01 am Tuesday morning, my First. Later in the morning, I'll be heading out to wherever they have stored Felix so we can work on some cooperative strategy.""And if I say 'no'?" She was terribly grumpy."Ugh, I guess I'll go bar-crawling with Odette and Timothy, Gay and Lesbian bars only. That way I know I'll behave.""And if they say 'no'?" she was slightly less hostile."I'll know you threatened their lives, and then you and I will finally find out who is better on the mats. Trust me, it will not be an experience you will enjoy.""I don't know. I think I'd like that.""No. You start threatening the other people I love and you will not be happy; I guarantee that, Buffy."She realized I was both serious and angry. She had stepped out of bounds, the 'bounds' I had set up two hours earlier during our elevator ride."Is the meeting still on for the night?" she evaded my disappointment."Yes. Will you be there?""Of course," she grumped."Buffy, don't bother showing up if you can't separate 'us' as friends, 'us' as Wakko Ishara and my First, and you as my apprentice."Making me miserable in the first relationship doesn't help the latter two one bit. I try not to be an irresponsible asshole as House Head. More than anyone else, you know what I will sacrifice to be Ishara and one with my Isharans. I'll also step out and be plain ole 'Cáel Nyilas' when events permit.""But I am sick and tired of people not taking my desire to be foolish and care-free seriously. Being a dogmatic ass-hat isn't in me, but if you can't work with that, from here on out we are Wakko Ishara and Buffy Ishara and nothing more. I will still trust you as an Isharan, but not as a friend. Your choice.""Don't be such an asshole!" she snapped."Screw you!" I fired back. "I made a fucking effort to plan out some personal time with you, disguised as a joke; you knew it and you still decided to be a ball-buster. Like I need another fucking ball-buster right now, with all the other shit on my plate. You know better!" I was screaming. The people in JIKIT were working overtime at not staring at me."I'm under a ton of stress here too," she snarled. "I have to deal with the Council, keep our House growing and fulfill my obligations with Executive Services.""Do you want to quit? No longer by my 'apprentice'? Go back to working for Katrina full time?""Really?" she whispered."Of course the fuck not!" I shouted. "I didn't pick you for the job because of your sterling personality, or your bedroom excellence. I picked you because I had, and still have, utter faith in your ability to do whatever is necessary to overcome the landfill-sized colossal ill-fortune the Ancestors have dumped in our lap.""I'm just asking you to stop being a whiny, over-sensitive cunt and remember: it was the psychotic bitch who I chose for the top spot," I rumbled."I'm going to kick your ass," she seethed."Nice to know. We on for Monday night?"Pause."Yes," and she hung up. Two seconds later my phone rang again. "Buffy?" I answered. "And don't be late!" she menaced, then hung up again."So," Addison turned my way, "are you praying for World Peace to break out, or Nuclear War?""Hardy-har-har," I griped."Now that your personal drama is temporarily derailed, we have something for you to look at," Mehmet motioned for my attention. "Ever heard of Kōfuku no Kagaku?" I shook my head. "It translates over as 'Happy Science' and it is a cult-like organization in Japan.""Cool beans. Why do I have a sinking impression it is not a front for the Ninja?""That is what we want you to find out," Addison took over. "Of critical importance is the news conference their leader, Ryuho Okawa, gave earlier this afternoon/morning (~ 3:17 pm Tokyo time = 2:17 am East Coast time ~), especially a very relevant part of his interesting public announcement."He claims to be the Earthly manifestation of the Supreme Being. That is old news. Today he claimed that Temujin of the Khanate was the reincarnation of the original Genghis Khan and, with him, Ryuho, as the unifier of theological forces and therefore serving as spiritual advisor to Temujin, they would usher in a new period of Peace throughout Asia.""I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop," I exhaled."He also claims that Japan is in the midst of an epic struggle, both spiritually and in the physical sense. The 'ancient guardians' of Japanese purity, the 6 Ninja Families, are at war with the depth of all Evil, the Chinese Seven Pillars of Heaven by name, who are determined to drag all of Asia away from the Light and into the Darkness of pain, degradation and slavery."In fact I quote: 'Alone among the nations of the Earth, only the Japanese cultural identity can stand firm against this global menace. Only the Japanese can keep the torch of true Enlightenment aloft. Only the Japanese can guide the development of the Khanate into the Supreme Empire it is meant to be'.""I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this guy is pseudo-religious, a Japanese ultra-nationalist as well as anti 'all things Sino'," came out of my mouth."Correct.""None of the Secret Societies would do something so public. Temujin's background is a mystery, but no one in the Khanate is calling him a reincarnated spirit, and they know the truth," I continued."This guy is pretty nutty," Mehmet confirmed. "He also claims to channel Buddha, Mohammed, Christ and Confucius. His followers worship him as the Earthly manifestation of the 'Supreme Being' named El Cantare, which is yet another name for any number of ancient supreme deities. And he claims to consult with the 'spirit guardians' of national leaders and aids in their mystic defense, with the aid of the Five Sacred Sisters' Spirits."Clearly this man was insane. Unfortunately, insane didn't make someone wrong,"Ah Hell," I muttered.Mehmet and Addison perked up; after all, figuring out the bizarre was my position on the team."He probably is insane, and I can't blame him," I sighed. "He isn't El Cantare; he is in touch with the Weave.""I have a feeling this is 'not good'," Addison murmured. "How bad is it?""The Five Sacred Spirit Sisters are most likely the five augurs who died in order to save Temujin, which, in turn, allies the 9 Clans with the E&S and Amazons to 'save' Japan, though it is not 'saved' yet.""Technically, the Weave IS the Supreme Being. It's largely indifferent, yet capable of doing both good and ill in response to outside (aka mortal) stimuli. If you can observe the Weave, you might be able to see the most likely path destiny is taking as well as the key players screwing with that destiny."That would include the Gong Tau sorcerers and the ninjas use of their own brand of magic; and God only knows what other mystic tricks the others have been attempting.""How do we get them to stop?" Captain Delilah Faircloth muttered."Not that easy Delilah. Everyone in this room has intersected because of a magic experiment that happened before any of us were born (Mom).""The fight at Summer Camp was flipped on its head because I saw the ghost the 7 Pillars sent to scout the area. My freeing of one of those trapped and tortured souls led to the calamity at the Barbeque Pit. I didn't use magic. I countered it. Still, my actions were interfering with the Weave."All four people the augurs, those Five Sisters, told me about had been dead at some point in time, some for thousands of years. Ajax didn't kill anyone using magic. Neither has Saku, yet both of them are products of disruptions in the Weave. 'Me' being alive and breathing is yet another disruption, since I shouldn't exist because of another mystic curse from five thousand years ago."Being alive and killing people means I've killed people who shouldn't be dead. Do we need to go into all the millions that have died in the Khanate war? Which was a combination of a resurrected Temujin and the 7 Pillars hunger for World Domination, if we do nothing, the rippled of those other disruption will still carry on."Except for me, no one on this taskforce has used an iota of magic, yet we are all dedicated to combatting mystical forces," I related to the group. I wondered where Rikki (Martin) and Beatrice (Ya Konan) had gotten off to. Lady Yum-Yum being absent only made my 'Scooby' senses tingle more."You use magic?" Agent-86 tilted his head in curiosity."I talk to a Goddess on a semi-regular business. I see ghosts. I've been the conveyer of messages from dead people and I've killed an un-killable man. Do we need to go back over my kidnapping by the 7 Pillars? The memories of my undead Grandfather floating around in my head?""I'm not calling thunderbolts out of the sky and shooting fireballs out my ass, but what I am doing is magical, nonetheless.""So, what do we recommend to our allies and benefactors (i.e., our sovereign governments)?" Mehmet inquired."Hmm, we tell our governments this crackpot is a Prophet of Doom who could be turned into an asset," I rubbed my brow with all four fingers and a thumb. Rikki, Beatrice and Lady Worthington-Burke quietly entered the room. They were all highly pleased in a 'I just won the lottery' kind of way. I was curious, but had to carry on with my train of thought."Quietly start seeking out other mystic societies, preferably low-key, quiet types who avoid the limelight, and start looking into other forms of magical insight and, quite frankly, protection. If the Weave has let this happen, we can expect worse. Lastly, I'll ask my 'Brother' to meet with this guy and get a feel for his personality.""That will only increase the believability of his ramblings," Addison protested."The boat called 'Denial' has already sailed. The World is in crisis. People are going to look for non-conventional answers. It is better to get ahead of this and bring Ryuho Okawa on board as a 'consultant'. Don't give him the whole picture by any means. The guy is definitely a loose cannon. Even worse, he is also a loose cannon the Weave has touched.""Besides, the Seven Pillars are going to figure this out pretty quick, their Weave sensitivity, ya know, and either kidnap him to be their own spiritual seismic sensor, or kill him for being both a loose cannon and yet another person screwing with their 'best laid plans'. Keeping him alive has the added benefit of making the Seven Pillars expend resources trying to get at him. Japan needs every bit diversion they can get."Let's not forget to tell our Secret Society allies of our plans, lest they kill him too. His babblings aren't going to make the 9 Clans or the E&S happy with him. They both have an established habit of making perceived enemies dead. Let's keep him alive and utilize this opportunity.""I like this plan," Addison nodded. Mehmet was clearly on board as well. Agent-86 clearly was playing the best on-line mystic MMORPG ever! (And with the added bonus that his team's action had real-world consequences.) The three 'ladies' new to the room received an abbreviated version of our discussion and my 'suggestions'. They weren't really suggestions. Barring a few insanely criminal endeavors, JIKIT treated me like a true asset."Something else big?" Addison looked to her British counterpart (Yum-Yum)."The Japanese Diet has voted for a public referendum on a Constitutional Amendment to repeal/revise Article 96 of the Japanese Constitution.""Oh fuck," was echoed, either verbally or subliminally, by everyone in the room except for me, Delilah and Agent-86.'Cáel' knew Jack and Shit about the Japanese Constitution. Hell, I barely knew about the US one and I was a native. However, Alal did know it, and knew both what Article 96 was and what its amendment really meant. Good-old 96 was the rolling dark cloud across the political Great Plains that heralded a swarm of tornados. Clouds were clouds and their arrival could mean anything.Article 96 dictated how the Japanese Constitution could be amended. The current process was a 2/3rd vote in both the House of Councilors (the 'Upper House', roughly equivalent to our Senate) and the House of Representatives (the 'Lower' House) followed by a public referendum. The proposed amendment to Article 96 would transform the process to a mere majority vote in both Houses.Imagine the shit-storm which would be unleashed if the US Congress tried to pull that shit. The biggest political issue was that the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) held 294 of the 475 seats in the lower house (a clear majority) and 115 of the 242 in the Upper House (7 seats short of a majority). If the amendment passed next month (October 14th to be precise), the LDP could pretty much do as they pleased.And what was the first thing they were going to do? They were going to put to rest another part of the Constitution, namely the far more globally important Article 9. And what was that?Real World Stuff: WarningsArticle 9:(1)Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.(2)To accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.If Article 9 was repealed, the Japanese nation could exercise diplomacy by military means, aka declaring an offensive war against a foreign power. Currently Japan had a modest budget military budget of $48 Billion a year (Earth's 10th largest). It was modest when you considered it was a mere 1% of the Japanese GDP. Great Britain, France and South Korea's smaller economies all functioned nicely with double that percentage for their military budget.Regionally, every other nation was increasing their military expenditures, except Japan's protector, the US and (perhaps) North Korea, who's spending on anything was a closely guarded state secret. Right now, China and the Khanate's military expenditures were running roughly even at $180 billion each, but this was an arm's race the PRC would eventually win, they had too great an advantage in the size of their workforce and a far larger industrial base.The truth was, if the PRC couldn't win this race fast, she was facing a long, grinding war reminiscent of the Communists' Long Rise to Power that wrecked their country a century ago. The monetary dynamic was shifting badly against them because the Khanate wasn't alone.India, Taiwan and Vietnam were also ramping up their war spending to a combined tune of $34 billion and now allied with the Khanate, equating to an additional $90 billion the PRC had to overcome. South Korea was already adding $8 billion to their military and Russia was taxing the fuck out of Manchuria to both pay for their 'Peaceful Intervention' and to increase the 'Readiness' of their other forces.All of this military spending was bad for both the regional and global economies (unless you were Israel who was turning out hardware 24/7/365 for the Khanate and Indian war machines). So at this point, Japan doing 'nothing' was possibly more disastrous than doing 'something' else.They were already spending $50 fucking billion on glorified policemen while the future of East Asia was being decided without them. Doubling the military budget would place a huge burden on the largely pacifistic population. It would also put Japan in the position of deciding the Fate of Nations.With the repeal of Article 9, Japan could utilize 'proactive means' to keep the naval supply routes to China open, not even the Indian's had the naval presence to confront the Japanese. Such a policy was a nice, friendly gesture to the Asian Colossus, who wasn't likely to show a shred of appreciation for their efforts.No, China had spent the last 60 years stoking the hatred of the Land of the Rising Sun among their people. (Many Japanese forgot current Chinese hatred was based on the Japanese butchering their way across China for nearly a decade between 1937 to 1945).(The Cornerstone) There was a truism which had guided American, Chinese, Japanese and Russian political thought for 150 years: 'There could only be one supreme power in East Asia and the Eastern Pacific'. Japan had followed the logical expression of that paradigm by invading Taiwan (1895), Korea (1910), beating up on Imperial Russia (1904), taking Manchuria (1931) and going to war with China (1937) while that country was trapped in a bloody civil war.To stop the Empire of Japan's rise, the US had attempted to cripple the Japanese economy before the Empire could harvest their just-acquired Asian natural resources. In response, Japan had thrown its soldiers and sailors into a futile effort against the British Empire, the United States and China and lost.With Imperial Japan crushed and the Soviet Union preoccupied in Europe, China had risen. The irresistible force of China's rapidly increasing population, natural resources exploitation and extensive land mass took hold. Japan couldn't compete in a 'fair' fight. Since 1945, the Japanese government had lived with the fear of aggression from Russia and/or China aimed their way.The US felt the same way, or they had. The fear produced by the broad acceptance of 'Only-One-Shall-Rule-Asia' had led to the Korean War, the half-century cease-fire along the Demilitarized Zone in Korea and the Vietnamese Civil War. The Communists in China and Russia had feuded until the Soviet Union collapsed under its own economic inadequacies.A reborn Russia, even with the ultra-nationalist Putin at the helm, couldn't stop China's growing domination. Asia was China's for the taking, until the Khanate rose up like some desert mirage in the Western Steppe, one that turned into the Mother of All Storms. So now, miraculously, the dominion of Asia was up for grabs once more.Japan could not overcome China; that was a given. The Dragon had more people, more resources and an almost three-fold larger economy. Given a decade, the PRC would grind the Khanate down. Once more it was the tyranny of numbers. Even India, Taiwan and Vietnam could only slow down the inevitable.India's subpar economic output marginalized the power of their citizenry. Taiwan had the proportional economy, but not nearly enough people. Vietnam had neither and had always had a rough time defending themselves, much less been successful confronting powers beyond her homeland. Putin's Mother Russia had a host of other problems, internal and external, so she had already contributed as much as Putin dared.Until Thursday morning, Tokyo Time, the undeniable Destiny of Asia remained in the hands of those men in Beijing. The dominoes were falling in a way those rulers had not foreseen and now fumed over. But on Wednesday night, there was no industrial power (with the population to back it up) which could threaten the People's Republic of China.Europe and the US wouldn't intervene. Much like the leadership in Japan, the Communist Chinese Politburo believed Putin had wagered as much as dared. No other nation on Earth mattered. Japan? That was laughable. Their Constitution bound the hands off their military behind their backs with a pledge of eternal pacifism.The Chinese weren't blind to the 250,000 men and women of the Japanese Self Defense Force. Without the political will, those troops might have well have been in Brazil. A hostile Brazil was actually a greater worry because Brazil was the powerhouse of South America, a G-8 economy and hungered for a Permanent Seat on the UN Security Council. The PRC was dedicated to denying their desire as it would have diluted the PRC's burgeoning diplomatic power.Japan? Ha.Thursday morning, in what was essentially an undetected (by anyone except the Ninja and JIKIT) coup d' tat, pacifism was sacrificed on the Altar of Nationalism. Article 96's demise was pre-ordained. A poll taken on July 1st, 42% of Japanese felt positively about the repeal of Article 96 while 46% opposed it.The same agency took a new poll on August 28th. The economic-political situation of Japan was going through a titanic tidal shift. If Buddhism moved you toward devout pacifist, the Khanate had liberated Tibet and was clearly withdrawing as the UN troops' boots hit the ground.If you were a Nationalist of any kind, you were seeing a whole lot more people at your rallies, accessing your websites and signing up to join your formerly fringe parties. If you were a Socialist, you were scared. Why? The PRC was in the process of nationalizing all of Japan's (and South Korea's and Taiwan's) business interests in China, for the 'Duration of the Emergency', or so they said.That meant plenty of Japanese workers were losing their jobs and looking to blame someone. You couldn't blame the centrist LDP. The LDP had been working alongside the Japanese Communist Party for months. They had done nothing wrong and had worked tirelessly for a peaceful diplomatic solution. It was their 'comrades' in China, their Marxist confederates, who were costing the hard-working Japanese workers their jobs.If you were in the Establishment, all of the above worried the crap out of you. Japan's economy had been limping along at barely-positive growth for a decade. Your aging population needed more and more from their public services and, worst of all, you had nothing in your political and economic tool box to escape the obvious oncoming national catastrophe.The possibility of a Global Recession loomed on the horizon, if they were lucky. Highly respected economists in Japan and elsewhere were examining all the key indicators over the past three months and were suggesting hording as a viable policy for middle class households to consider. If you were in the Developing World, worse was heading your way.The word being bandied about on those esteemed academic internet websites wasn't 'recession', it was depression. Global prosperity thrived on nations investing in both their own economy and the economies of other nations. The governments representing a third of the World's population were not investing in their economies.Unless you were a war profiteer, you could expect fewer consumer goods on the shelves; and what was there would cost more. Your income wasn't going up; your expenses were. If you were an Atheistic homeowner in the Western World with a secured 3.25% fixed rate home loan, you took up religion. The prime interest rate would be racing for the 20% mark and that was only if your economy was stable.If you lived in a country in the Developing World, your trade goods didn't compete with those created in the G-20. Your competition was with other Developing World businesses and the prize was the pocketbooks of those consumers in the G-20, which was a shrinking purse.It wasn't like you were being paid all that much to begin with; and now those once poor-paying, but at least plentiful, jobs were drying up. You needed your government to help you out. It wasn't like those governments could raise money by taxing the unemployed and under-employed. They didn't have money. And the rich in most of those same nations had a long and successful legacy of avoiding paying.Those growing economies had a few tried and tested 'solutions' for getting their countries through these rough stretches.The IMF? 'We are out to make 'positive' capital investments and your economic outlook doesn't look promising. We suggest 'austerity'.'The BRICS? Since India and China were basically in an undeclared state of war: 'we won't be loaning anyone anything for a while.'The BIS? 'As soon as the People' Bank of China, the Reserve Bank of India, the Central Bank of Ireland, the Bank of Israel and the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey get back to us about their sudden, serious lack of transparency, we'll call you back.'World Bank? Holy Shit! 'The world's going down the toilet, we will do what we can.'F Y I, I (as in Cáel) had been wrong. The 6 Elders of the Ninja families didn't talk to Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Awbee. They talked with another, far more immediately important man. So sue me (Cáel) for not knowing the inner workings of various world governments, and creatively interpreting events surrounding all those people I (Cáel) didn't. I'm a freaking Liberal Arts major with a fertile imagination, not a superspy, or even a competent Intelligence Analyst!}The Japanese government had appealed to the U.S., U.N., P.R.C., A.S.E.A.N., India; and (through back channels aka JIKIT) the Khanate for an end to this madness; all with typical results:The U.S.A: We are working on it (without letting them know what precisely they were working on)Japan: Well, do something fast. Our Government Bonds are about to be more useful as wallpaper.The U.N.: We are working on it (with their long-established tradition of not doing anything until the crisis had passed)Japan: You are preparing to pass a Resolution to move this matter from the First Committee to the Fourth Committee, gee, thanks guys. Will they be meeting sometime before Christmas?The PRC: We are too busy right now, so shut up, keep the trade lanes open, and was that your submarine we detected sneaking into our territorial waters?Japan: What? What do you mean you are 'too busy?' You are one of our biggest trading partners, your economy is going down the toilet, and, No! That was not our submarine in your territorial waters. That accusation is absurd.(Note from Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Awbee, to Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano, head of the JMSDF {the de facto Japanese Navy}), The PRC has made this outrageous claim that one of our submarines has been sneaking around their territorial waters. There is no truth to that rumor, right?Kawano: Which time?Prime Minister: Oh My God! What have you people been doing and why is this the first time I'm hearing about it?Kawano: Sir, if you are just now getting around to asking us, you don't want to know.Prime Minister: What do you mean 'I don't want to know?' I'm the head of the damn government and, you are right. Fine. There is no way I'm going back to the Chinese Ambassador and apologizing for any this. Is there any way this can come back to screw us over?Kawano: With all these US and British submarines helping us out, not very likely, Prime Minister.Prime Minister: Oh, very good. You are correct, I don't want to know what you 'haven't' been doing. I am ordering you to destroy all transcripts and recordings of this conversation.Kawano: It has been my distinct honor not having this conversation with you, Prime Minister. Sayōnara.ASEAN, What do you expect us to do about this? Have you seen the unimpressive combined sizes of our members' air forces and navies? Did you see the smack-down the Khanate has inflicted on the PLAN's South China Sea Fleet?Besides, the PRC is claiming that the Khanate launched covert attacks against the Parcels and Spratly islands which originated from Indonesian and Filipino waters. We are investigating the issue. If you are asking us for help, you are truly screwed. Don't call us. We will call you.Japan, {muttering} Investigating the attacks that came from your territory, bullshit! You are covering your own asses, damn it!(Note from Prime Minister, Shinzō Awbee, to Shotaro Yachi, Japanese National Security Advisor), I've heard an ugly rumor that the Khanate has forces secreted in the Philippines and Indonesia. Do you happen to know anything about it?Yachi: Yes Sir. We had advance notice of the organization, composition and destination of those forces.Awbee (while muttering 'no one tells me anything anymore'): What the! Would you please tell me what is going on.Yachi: We have made critical steps toward future alliances which will guarantee Japanese security for decades to come.Awbee What does that mean, and since when have you been creating and implementing foreign policy? We have a Minister for that, in case you somehow over-looked him at the last cabinet meeting. Wait! Does he know about this too?Yachi: No Sir, Foreign Minister Kishida is currently unaware of the Kinkyū tokushu sakusen tasukufōsu (Emergency Special Operations Task Force). Admiral Katsutoshi knows the basics of our operational policy, since we need to borrow some of his assets from time to time. Director-General Kitada (of the Public Security Intelligence Agency) and key personnel from the Foreign Ministry's Intelligence & Analysis Service and Security Bureau make up the majority of the task force's operatives.Awbee: What have you been doing?Yachi: You don't want to know, Mr. Prime Minister. It would make things, awkward.Awbee: 'You don't want to know', of course, I don't. I'm only the elected head of this government. Why would I possibly want to know what acts of espionage and war my deputies are executing?Yachi: I am glad we are on the same page, Sir. Will there be anything else?Awbee: No, wait. Do you have any intelligence on what the Khanate is up to?Yachi: Yes Sir. Is there anything in particular you want to know?Analysis Services: Can you contact someone in their leadership willing to discuss regional affairs?Yachi: I can put you in touch with the Great Khan himself if necessary.AS: What!Yachi: Sir, I would hardly be acting in our nation's best interests if I couldn't divine the intentions of the key players on the stage. Shall I initiate the necessary communications to facilitate that level of clandestine diplomatic contact?AS: No. Yes. No, I need to think about this. Hmm, have you been conducting any domestic espionage missions?Yachi: You don't want me to answer that, Sir.Awbee: of course I don't, I'm only the damn Prime Minister. Shotaro, I'm still Prime Minister, aren't I?Yachi: Yes Sir. We have been working overtime to ensure that. We've foiled two enemy assassination attempts and one attempted kidnapping so far. We remain vigilant.AS: How come this is the first I'm hearing about it? Is the head of my security in on this conspiracy of yours too?Yachi: No Sir. These particular guardians wish to avoid notoriety at all costs.Awbee: Okay. Good to know. Ah, keep up the good work and destroy any trace of this conversation.Yachi: Way ahead of you, Sir. Have a good night.India, Yes, we are more than willing to work with you toward regional stability. Care to acknowledge the Khanate's legitimacy first? We'd really appreciate it. Sure, get back to us when you've done that. Until then, the South China Sea Awaits! Yes, we plan to keep what we've earned. Later now. We think there is going to be further instability in Southeast Asia.Japan, Ya think? It is your damn warships sailing around the freaking South China Sea enforcing your utterly un-secret alliance with the Khanate. Why are you doing this to us? What have we ever done to you?The Khanate, We are not out to damage your national interests. We apologize, but there is now way we will call off this war with the Communist Chinese. It is them, or us, to the death. We have already received and agreed to your request to allow all Japanese flagged ships safe transit through the South China Sea. We really wish to be your friends this time, to make up for those two invasion attempts seven hundred years ago.(Note from  Prime Minister to Self) Great. The only reasonable people who aren't out to kick me in the nuts are also the ones I can't acknowledge talking to. I've got to do something a

United States intelligence agencies have been secretly collecting data from cellphone users around the world by using hacking tools to access SIM cards and operating systems, and they also target Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and mobile networks to track users without their knowledge, according to a newly released cybersecurity report.最新发布的网络安全报告显示，美国情报机构一直利用黑客工具入侵SIM卡和操作系统，秘密收集全球手机用户数据，并在用户不知情的情况下，利用Wi-Fi、蓝牙、GPS和移动网络对用户进行跟踪。Such large-scale and long-term activities have seriously endangered the cybersecurity and national security of countries around the world, according to the report, titled "Mobile Cyberattacks Conducted by US Intelligence Agencies", which was published on Tuesday by the China Cybersecurity Industry Alliance.中国网络安全产业联盟周二发布的《美情报机构针对全球移动智能终端实施的监听窃密活动》报告指出，这种大规模、长期的活动严重危害全球网络安全和各国国家安全。At the same time, US intelligence agencies have targeted data centers of major internet and information technology vendors, and even the entire mobile industry ecosystem, the report said, adding that they extensively steal personal data, account credentials, device information, communication links and geolocation data.报告还提到，美国情报机构还将主要互联网和信息技术供应商的数据中心，甚至整个移动行业生态系统作为攻击目标，广泛窃取个人数据、账户凭证、设备信息、通信链路和地理位置数据。Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular news conference on Tuesday in Beijing that it is worth noting that the report revealed that the US is the world's primary country conducting network attacks through the supply chain and mobile operators.外交部发言人郭嘉昆在周二于北京举行的例行记者会上表示，值得注意的是，报告显示美国是全球通过供应链和移动运营商进行网络攻击的主要国家。"Over the years, the US has been accustomed to crying 'stop thief' on supply chain security issues, manipulating double standards, and vigorously hyping the so-called '5G supply chain security issues', while cooperating with major internet companies or equipment suppliers in its own country topreinstall back doors in global information equipment products, serving its own network attack activities," Guo said.“多年来，美国习惯于在供应链安全问题上喊‘捉贼'，搞双重标准，大肆炒作所谓‘5G供应链安全问题'，同时又联合本国主要互联网公司或设备供应商，在全球信息设备产品中预装后门，为其网络攻击活动提供便利。”郭嘉昆说。The report gathered a large number of disclosures and analyses from the industry and academia on the network intelligence activities carried out by US intelligence agencies against mobile smartterminals, so that precautionary measures can be taken.报告汇集了业界和学术界对美国情报机构针对移动智能终端开展的网络情报活动的大量披露和分析，以便相关方能采取预防措施。The "2023 Facts and Figures" report released by the International Telecommunication Union in November 2023 said that the mobile phone ownership rate among the global population age 10 and above is 78 percent, and the coverage of mobile broadband with 3G and above in the total global population is 95 percent.根据国际电信联盟2023年11月发布的《2023年事实与数据》报告，全球10岁及以上人口的手机持有率已达到78%，而3G及以上移动宽带的全球覆盖率达95%。According to theChina Cybersecurity Industry Alliance report, by exploiting SIM card vulnerabilities, US intelligence agencies enable their attacks to bypass mobile operating systems and device brands to track user locations andintercept phone calls.中国网络安全产业联盟的报告指出，美国情报机构利用SIM卡漏洞，使其攻击能够绕过移动操作系统和设备品牌，追踪用户位置并拦截电话。Technically, all brands and models of cellphones and wearable devices with SIM cards, regardless of the operating system installed, can beexploited as long as there is a vulnerability in the inserted SIM card.从技术上讲，只要SIM卡存在漏洞，无论安装何种操作系统，所有品牌和型号的手机及配备SIM卡的可穿戴设备都可能成为攻击目标。In addition, US intelligence agencies have further strengthened theirsurveillance and intelligence acquisition capabilities in the area of mobile networks through the use and control of commercial spyware. For example, through the use of the Israeli spyware Pegasus, the US has carried out wiretapping on a number of heads of state and political figures, including those of France and Pakistan, the report said.此外，美国情报机构还通过使用和控制商业间谍软件，进一步加强了其在移动网络领域的监控和情报获取能力。例如报告中提到，美国通过使用以色列间谍软件“飞马”，对包括法国、巴基斯坦等多国国家元首及政治人物进行窃听。Guo added that it is believed that the report will help the international community see the true face of the US. China urges the US to immediately stop such actions, especially the use of the global supply chain to carry outmalicious cyber activities, and to give an explanation to the world in a responsible manner, he said.郭嘉昆还表示，相信这份报告将有助于国际社会认清美国的真实面目。中国敦促美国立即停止此类行为，尤其是停止利用全球供应链开展恶意网络活动，并以负责任的态度向国际社会作出解释。vendorn.供应商，卖主hypev.大肆宣传preinstallv.预安装，预设terminaln.终端China Cybersecurity Industry Alliance中国网络安全产业联盟interceptv.拦截exploitv.开发surveillancen.监视maliciousadj.恶意的

The U.S. has added over 50 Chinese companies to its export control list due to military concerns, targeting firms involved in supercomputing, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology. In total, around 80 companies from various countries, including Taiwan, Iran, Pakistan, South Africa, and the UAE, are affected. The Inspur Group and the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence are among those listed, with the latter expressing strong opposition. China's Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. action, claiming it violates international law and seeks to suppress Chinese enterprises. The U.S. aims to restrict China's access to advanced supercomputers and military technologies. The new measures coincide with increased tariffs on Chinese imports, which currently stand at 20%, with an additional 25% tariff on nations importing oil or gas from Venezuela. In retaliation, China has implemented new tariffs on American goods and initiated investigations into companies like Google.Learn more on this news visit us at: https://greyjournal.net/news/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hundreds of people have been killed in Gaza after Israel broke a ceasefire and unleashed a huge bombardment across the territory on Tuesday morning. Israel says it was a "pre-emptive strike" targeting military commanders, leadership officials and terrorist infrastructure. Israel's Foreign Ministry adddd that Hamas refused to extend the ceasefire. Correspondent Jeremy Diamond has the details.  Also on today's show: Olga Cherevko, Spokesperson, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; Oleksiy Goncharenko, Ukrainian Member of Parliament; Simon Harris, Irish Foreign Minister; Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein, co-authors of "Abundance"   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have reiterated the long-term and strategic nature of bilateral ties, pledging that China-Russia relations will not be disrupted by external factors or any third party.The two presidents made the statement on Monday during a telephone conversation, their second interaction within a month following a video meeting on Jan 21.Putin provided an update on the latest interactions between Russia and the United States, as well as Russia's principled stance on the Ukraine crisis. He emphasized Moscow's commitment to addressing the root causes of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and achieving a sustainable and lasting peace.Xi reaffirmed China's position on resolving the Ukraine crisis, saying that the Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine crisis, which was established in September by China and Brazil along with some other countries of the Global South, has been fostering an atmosphere and conditions for the political settlement of the crisis.China is glad to see Russia and relevant parties make positive efforts to defuse the Ukraine crisis, he said.Monday marked the third anniversary of the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.High-level delegations from Russia and the US held talks on the Ukraine crisis in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb 18. Both sides agreed to appoint special representatives to continue the talks between the two countries.Speaking at a regular news conference on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, "Since the full escalation of the Ukraine crisis, China has stayed in communication with relevant parties and been committed to building consensus for ending the conflict and paving the way for peace talks."China will always stand firmly on the side of peace, uphold an objective and fair position and continue to work with the international community to play a constructive role in advancing political settlement of the crisis, Lin said.On bilateral ties, Xi told Putin that history and reality have shown that China and Russia are good neighbors that cannot be moved away from each other, and true friends who share weal and woe, support each other and pursue common development.The China-Russia relationship enjoys strong internal driving forces and unique strategic value, and it does not target any third party nor would it be influenced by any third party, Xi noted.He emphasized that the development strategies and foreign policies of both countries are long-term.No matter how the international landscape changes, the relationship between China and Russia will move forward at its own pace, contribute to their respective development and revitalization, and inject stability and positive energy into international relations, he added.Putin expressed Russia's high regard for its relationship with China, saying that in the year ahead, his country looks forward to maintaining high-level exchanges with China and deepening practical cooperation.Putin added that Russia is willing to work with China to jointly commemorate the 80th anniversary of victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).He pointed out that developing relations with China is a strategic choice made by Russia with a view to the long term. It is not an act of expediency, not affected by any temporary incidents, and not subject to interference by external factors, Putin said.He emphasized that in the current situation, close communication between Russia and China is in keeping with the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era, and will send a positive message that Russia and China play a stabilizing role in international affairs.The phone talks between the two presidents came just four days after the meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Johannesburg, South Africa, on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting.Both foreign ministers also reaffirmed the "unbreakable" friendship between China and Russia, and the countries' commitment to deepening strategic coordination.

Former Ambassador to Germany, and vice director general of the Foreign Ministry, Jeremy Issacharoff said that the new mainstream conservative government would likely remain committed to Israel’s security. He told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that Merz could have a more favorable relationship with the Netanyahu government. (photo: Martin Meissner/AP) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A group of 200 Chinese citizens suspected of involvement in telecom fraud arrived on Thursday in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, escorted by Chinese police, after being repatriated from Myanmar.2月20日，一批200名涉嫌参与电信诈骗的中国籍犯罪嫌疑人在中国警方押解下，从缅甸被遣返回国，抵达江苏省南京市。The suspects were first sent to Thailand's Mae Sot, which borders Myanmar's Myawaddy, before being flown back to China on four chartered flights. The first chartered flight arrived at Nanjing Lukou International Airport in the afternoon.该批嫌疑人先被移送至与缅甸妙瓦底接壤的泰国湄索，随后分乘四架包机回国。2月20日下午,首架包机抵达南京禄口国际机场。The repatriation marks a significant achievement in law enforcement cooperation among China, Myanmar and Thailand to tackle telecom fraud, the Ministry of Public Security said.公安部表示，此次遣返行动是中缅泰三国开展执法合作打击电信网络诈骗取得的标志性重大战果。The move came as the three countries stepped up efforts to crack down on a series of transnational crimes, including telecom and cyberspace fraud, engineered in the scam compounds of Myawaddy.此次行动正值三国加大力度打击电信诈骗、网络诈骗等一系列跨国犯罪之际，这些犯罪活动主要在妙瓦底的诈骗园区内策划实施。Calling the repatriation "major progress in close coordination among the three countries", the ministry said its working groups visited Thailand and Myanmar in January to hold multiple rounds of discussions with the two countries' law enforcement departments and they reached a consensus to establish a joint mechanism targeting telecom fraud and human trafficking.公安部称此次遣返行动是“三国紧密合作取得的重大进展”，并表示今年1月公安部派出工作组赴泰国、缅甸，与两国执法部门进行多轮次会谈，就建立联合打击犯罪机制，共同打击电信网络诈骗、人口贩运等跨国犯罪达成共识。Thailand cut off electricity, internet and fuel supplies to Myawaddy and strengthened patrols to prevent illegal border crossings by individuals involved in fraud. Myanmar deployed forces to raid telecom fraud dens in Myawaddy, arrested suspects and rescued Chinese nationals trapped in scam operations. The joint effort led to a large number of suspects being captured in Myawaddy, the ministry said.泰国对妙瓦底地区采取断电、断网、断油等措施，在泰缅边境加强巡查管控，坚决阻断涉诈人员偷渡、转移通道。缅甸部署对妙瓦底地区电诈园区开展集中清查，缉捕涉诈犯罪嫌疑人，解救被困中国公民。公安部表示，经三方密切协作、共同努力，大批涉诈犯罪嫌疑人在缅甸妙瓦底地区落网。The 200 suspects repatriated on Thursday were escorted by Jiangsu police, who are expected to bring more than 800 other suspects back to China.2月20日，被遣返的200名嫌疑人由江苏警方押解回国，预计还将有800余名中国籍涉诈犯罪嫌疑人被陆续押解回国。Ding Jie, a police officer and a member of an anti-fraud team of the Jiangsu Public Security Department, said the police will conduct thorough investigation of the cases that the suspects were involved in.江苏省公安厅反诈骗和新型犯罪总队案件侦查支队支队长丁杰表示，警方将对嫌疑人所涉案件展开深入调查。The ministry said telecom fraud and other transnational crimes have become a global challenge and require strengthened international law enforcement cooperation, adding that China, Myanmar and Thailand would carry out joint operations to combat such crimes on a regular basis.公安部表示，电信网络诈骗等跨国犯罪已成为全球打击治理难题，必须加大国际执法合作力度。中缅泰三方针对此类犯罪将常态化开展联合打击。The Chinese police will deepen cooperation with more countries and do their best to rescue individuals trapped in scam operations, hunt down financial supporters and key members of criminal gangs, and eliminate crime dens, it said.公安部还表示，中国警方将与更多国家深化合作，全力解救被困人员，全力缉捕“金主”、骨干，坚决清剿电诈园区。Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a daily news briefing on Thursday that fighting online gambling and scams is a must in order to safeguard the common interests of countries in the region, and is a shared aspiration of people of all countries.2月20日，外交部发言人郭嘉昆在例行新闻发布会上表示，坚决打击网赌电诈犯罪，是维护地区国家共同利益的必然选择，符合各国人民共同期待。China is working closely with countries including Thailand and Myanmar to "address both symptoms and the root cause" of such crimes, Guo added.郭嘉昆补充说，中国正同泰国、缅甸等国家密切合作，标本兼治，合力解决此类犯罪问题。repatriaten.将…遣返回国

As the United States was absent from a collective pledge to drive inclusive AI development at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, France, the China-proposed Global AI Governance Initiative, put forward by President Xi Jinping in 2023, has greater relevance to promoting AI growth for good and for all, according to analysts.分析人士认为，由于美国缺席法国巴黎人工智能行动峰会并拒签推动包容性人工智能发展的集体宣言，中国国家主席习近平于2023年提出的《全球人工智能治理倡议》对于促进人工智能向善发展、普惠发展具有更加重要的意义。Fifty-eight countries including China and two international organizations—the 27-member European Union and the 55-member African Union—signed the Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence for People and the Planet at the summit, co-chaired by France and India from Monday to Tuesday.本次峰会（2月9日-10日）由法国和印度联合主办，包括中国在内的58个国家和欧盟（27个成员国）、非洲联盟（55个成员国）两大国际组织共同签署了《关于发展包容、可持续的人工智能造福人类与地球的声明》。The US refused to sign the international document, with Vice-President JD Vance making it clear at the summit that Washington maintains an "America first" approach in AI development.美国拒绝签署这份国际文件，副总统JD·万斯在峰会上明确表示，美国在人工智能发展方面坚持“美国优先”的做法。Vance said that the US administration will ensure that "American AI technology continues to be the gold standard worldwide", while access to that technology will not be open to all, according to media reports.据媒体报道，万斯表示美国政府将确保“美国人工智能技术继续成为全球黄金标准”，而这种技术的获取并不会向所有人开放。Addressing the summit in the capacity of President Xi's special representative, Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing reiterated China's commitment to working with other countries to promote development, safeguard security, share achievements in the AI field, and jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind.作为习近平主席特别代表出席峰会的中国国务院副总理张国清重申，中国愿在人工智能领域与各国共推发展、共护安全、共享成果，共同构建人类命运共同体。In facing the opportunities and challenges brought about by the development of AI, Zhang called on the international community to jointly advocate the principle of developing AI for good and to deepen innovative cooperation, strengthen inclusiveness and universal benefits, and improve global governance.张国清表示，面对人工智能发展的机遇和挑战，国际社会应携起手来，倡导智能向善，深化创新合作，加强包容普惠，完善全球治理。Zhang's attendance at the Paris summit is widely considered as China's active implementation of the Global AI Governance Initiative. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday that China's signing of the outcome document at the summit demonstrates its commitment to promoting global AI development and governance in an active manner.张国清出席巴黎峰会，被广泛视为中国积极落实《全球人工智能治理倡议》的行动。2月12日，外交部发言人郭嘉昆表示，中国签署峰会成果文件，表明中国致力于推动全球人工智能发展和治理的积极态度。"China will continue to uphold the principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution with benefits shared by all, strengthen exchanges and cooperation with all parties, and promote artificial intelligence to better serve global development and enhance the wellbeing of humanity," Guo said at a regular news conference.郭嘉昆在例行记者会上表示，“中国将继续秉持共商共建共享理念，同各方加强交流合作，推动人工智能更好服务全球发展、增进人类福祉。”The Global AI Governance Initiative called on countries to work together to prevent risks and develop AI governance frameworks, norms and standards based on broad consensus, in order to make AI technologies more secure, reliable, controllable and equitable.《全球人工智能治理倡议》呼吁各国携手合作，共同做好风险防范，形成具有广泛共识的人工智能治理框架和标准规范，不断提升人工智能技术的安全性、可靠性、可控性、公平性。On July 1 last year, the 78th United Nations General Assembly adopted a China-led resolution on enhancing international AI cooperation, with over 140 countries supporting it. This resolution, which was the UN's first on international cooperation for AI capacity building, fully embodies the core principles of the Global AI Governance Initiative, and aligns with the high expectations of numerous UN member states, particularly developing countries.2024年7月1日，第78届联合国大会通过了一项由中国主提的加强人工智能能力建设国际合作决议，得到了140多个国家的支持。该决议作为联合国首份关于人工智能能力建设国际合作的决议，充分反映了《全球人工智能治理倡议》的核心要义，顺应了广大联合国会员国特别是发展中国家的热切期待。Yasir Habib Khan, president of the Institute of International Relations and Media Research in Pakistan, said that in the fast-evolving AI economy, China has emerged as a key player, offering great opportunities for developing nations, especially the Global South, to help them keep pace with global technological progress.巴基斯坦国际关系与媒体研究所所长亚希尔·哈比卜·汗表示，在快速发展的人工智能经济中，中国已成为关键参与者，为发展中国家特别是“全球南方”国家提供了巨大机遇，帮助他们跟上全球技术进步的步伐。Through international cooperation mechanisms, such as the UN and the digital Silk Road initiative, China advocates AI policies that reflect the interests of developing nations, Khan said, adding that its emphasis on national sovereignty in AI governance ensures that emerging economies maintain control over their data and technological resources.他表示，中国通过联合国和“数字丝绸之路”倡议等国际合作机制，倡导有利于发展中国家的人工智能政策，强调在人工智能治理中维护国家主权，保障新兴经济体对数据和技术资源的自主掌控。The Paris summit, gathering heads of state and government, leaders of international organizations, business executives and tech experts, took place as Chinese AI company DeepSeek surprised the global AI landscape.此次巴黎峰会汇聚多国国家元首、政府首脑以及国际组织负责人、企业高管和技术专家，期间中国人工智能企业DeepSeek惊艳全球AI领域。DeepSeek, which built its open-source AI model at a fraction of the cost of building similar large language models and with fewer chips, has reduced financial barriers for global AI participation and promoted a more level playing field through technological advancements.DeepSeek以更低的成本和更少的芯片构建开源AI模型，降低了全球参与人工智能的成本门槛，并通过技术进步促进了更加公平的竞争环境。Andy Mok, a senior research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, said that DeepSeek exemplifies China's broader vision to provide global public goods—a model that reimagines technology as a universal resource for the benefit of all.中国与全球化智库高级研究员安迪·莫克表示，DeepSeek体现了中国在提供全球公共产品方面更为广阔的愿景——这是一种将技术重构为普遍资源并惠及所有人的模式。The Chinese company's success exposes the fragility of the narrative that only the US model, with its emphasis on individualism and laissez-faire economics, can foster progress, Mok said in an opinion piece published on the website of the China Global Television Network.莫克在中国国际电视台网站上发表的一篇评论文章中表示，这家中国企业的成功，打破了只有强调个人主义和自由放任经济的美国模式才能推动进步的叙事，暴露出这一叙事的脆弱性。While hailing China's progress in AI development and its initiative for global AI governance, global leaders attending the Paris summit underlined the need for international cooperation on AI development.在巴黎峰会上，各国领导人赞扬了中国在人工智能发展方面取得的进步及其对全球人工智能治理的倡议，同时也强调了人工智能发展领域国际合作的重要性。UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the growing concentration of AI capabilities risks deepening geopolitical divides, adding that "while some companies and countries are racing ahead with record investments, most developing nations find themselves left out in the cold".联合国秘书长古特雷斯警告说，人工智能能力日益集中，可能会加剧全球地缘政治分歧。他补充说，“一些公司和国家正以创纪录的投资额迅速前进，而大多数发展中国家却被甩在后面”。"We must prevent a world of AI 'haves' and 'have-nots'. We must all work together so that AI can bridge the gap between developed and developing countries—not widen it," he said.他表示，“我们必须防止出现人工智能‘有'和‘无'的两极世界。我们必须共同努力，确保人工智能能够弥合而非扩大发达国家与发展中国家之间的差距”。laissez-fairen.置之不理，放任自流

According to the Associated Press, groups representing South Africa's white minority rejected President Donald Trump's offer of refugee status in the U.S., saying, “thanks, but no thanks.” Trump's executive order, signed Friday, halted all aid to South Africa, citing “rights violations” against white citizens. His administration accused the government of permitting attacks on white Afrikaner farmers and passing a law that enables property seizures without compensation. South Africa denied these claims, calling them misinformation. Afrikaner groups dismissed Trump's offer, stating their commitment to staying in South Africa. Trump's sanctions, backed by his South African-born adviser Elon Musk, sparked criticism, with South Africa's Foreign Ministry highlighting that whites remain economically privileged. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports on a call between President-elect Trump and China's leader.

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today’s show. Israeli and regional media is rife with headlines about an imminent potential Gaza hostage release deal. However, after a Saudi outlet published a list it received from Hamas of 34 hostages the terror organization says would be freed in the first phase of a potential hostage-ceasefire deal, the Prime Minister’s Office puts out a statement stressing that the document is merely an Israeli list that was given to the mediating countries in July 2024. Berman updates us on what is going on. US special envoy Amos Hochstein has just landed in Beirut. This comes a day after Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel will be “forced to act” if Hezbollah does not pull back from southern Lebanon as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement. What is happening with the temporary truce agreement? As Syria’s new government strives to gain international legitimacy after overthrowing the Bashar al-Assad regime, Western countries seem open to giving a chance to the government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, head of the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group. Berman explains how Israel is sounding the alarm. An Israel Defense Forces soldier who survived Hamas’s attack at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, hurriedly ended his vacation in Brazil on Sunday morning after the country’s Federal Court ordered police to open a war crimes investigation into him, according to Brazilian media. Another 11 soldiers across the globe were warned by the Foreign Ministry. Berman weighs in. For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog. Discussed articles include: Leaked list names 34 hostages to be freed in 1st stage of Gaza deal; Israel denies progress Hamas said to okay list of 34 hostages to be freed, but refuses to detail who’s alive Katz warns ceasefire in jeopardy if Hezbollah doesn’t withdraw from south Lebanon As European and Arab leaders rush to meet Syria’s new leader, Israel calls for caution IDF soldier who survived Nova massacre escapes war crimes investigation in Brazil Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Nomi Studios. IMAGE: A protester with her hands bound and mouth taped shut holds a placard during a demonstration calling for the release of hostages held captive in Gaza by Hamas terrorists since the October 7 attacks, outside the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv on January 4, 2025. (Jack Guez / AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Night of chaos: Inside Yoon's Cabinet in hours before declaration 진행자: 박준희, Chelsea Proctor 기사 요약: 국무위원들이 기억한 12월 3일 계엄령 선포가 터진 그날은 어땠을까? 이들의 증언을 바탕으로 알아보기. [1] Public accounts from Cabinet members at the National Assembly have exposed a troubling picture of President Yoon Suk Yeol's Dec. 3 martial law declaration: One of a clandestine and illegitimate decision that bypassed nearly the entire Cabinet, silenced its opposition, and violated due process. * Expose: 드러내다 * Troubling: 우려스러운 * Clandestine: 은밀한 * Bypass: 우회하다 [2] The hours before Yoon's late-night announcement were chaotic, with most Cabinet members kept in the dark. Below is a look at the time leading up to and after the declaration, based on their accounts. * Chaotic: 혼돈 상태인 * In the dark: 아무것도 모르는 * Lead up to: ~에 이르다 * Account: 증언 [3] After witnessing armed soldiers storming the National Assembly on television, smashing windows as they forced their way in, all Cabinet ministers submitted their collective resignations to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Dec. 4. * Witness: 목격하다 * Storm: 난입하다 * Smash: 박살내다 * Force one's way: 억지로 밀고 나가다 [4] "I was personally stunned by the announcement as well. The last time martial law was imposed in Korea was 1979, when I joined the Foreign Ministry," Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said during a press briefing for foreign media in Seoul on Wednesday. "Never did I imagine that it would be declared again 45 years later, in the Korea of 2024." * Stun: 놀라게 하다 * Impose: 시행하다 * Join: 합류하다 * Declare: 선언하다 기사 전문: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20241218050072 [코리아헤럴드 팟캐스트 구독] 아이튠즈(아이폰):https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2 네이버 오디오 클립(아이폰, 안드로이드 겸용): https://audioclip.naver.com/channels/5404 팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638

It's Christmas Eve Tuesday, December 24th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes written by Kevin Swanson and heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  Filling in for Adam McMannus I'm Ean Leppin. National Association of Realtors Attacks Free Speech The US National Association of Realtors has slammed a Christian realtor in Virginia for his stance taken for the cause of righteousness. Wilson Fauber was declared guilty by the NAR ethics panel for “harassing speech” and “hate speech.”  Fauber's social media posts espoused traditional Christian views on marriage and sexuality. He shared comments from Franklin Graham and other Christian leaders online. In a statement released by the Founding Freedoms Law Center (FFLC), Fauber said: “In 44 years as a realtor, I have loved and served all people. Regularly, I hear from other faith-based realtors that live in fear of being similarly prosecuted for their faith, and potentially losing their livelihoods, if they don't hide their faith well enough."  Fauber's attorneys are seeking out other legal options in the case. In an interview with CBN News Fauber's attorney with the Founding Freedoms Law Center, Michael Sylvester said this concerning the case. SYLVESTER: “If speaking the Bible is hate-speech, we've really reached a new low, because we used to value our professions because of the values that they bring into society. So, we really need to say, 'no' to large-scale private censorship, and allow free speech again, instead of the censorship that we're seeing.” So what are Wilson Fauber's plans in pursuing this legally? FAUBER: “I'm adamant about pursuing the case. I believe the Lord has called me for such a time as this, to be His voice on this particular matter. [H]e has given me His peace. I feel strong about this, and I'm going to do everything I can to expose everything that is going on, and try to right the wrong, because this really isn't just about me. The National Association of Realtors has over 1,500,000 paying members, and so we're all under the same ordinance and these policies that are very binding on our lives 24/7. And, I don't think that that's right.” Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Biden Pardons Murderers The President of the United States, Joe Biden, has issued clemency for America's worst criminals. He has commuted the sentences of 37 out of 40, the murderers convicted in federal courts over the years, reclassifying their sentences to life without the possibility of parole. The victims of the 37 include law enforcement officers and children. Some were guilty of murdering multiple victims, including drug lord, Kaboni Savage who lived up to his name - responsible for the murder of 12 people. Having pardoned 65 individuals, and commuting sentences of 1,634 others, President Biden has issued more pardons than any president in a 4 year term. U.S. Gives Over $2 Billion to Taiwan U.S. President Joe Biden has authorized up to $571 million of defense assets for Taiwan's defense program. That will take the US contributions to Taiwan in 2024 to $2.7 billion — the first major support for the island country since 1970. In response, China's Foreign Ministry issued a statement laced in threats, quote, “To aid “Taiwan independence” by arming Taiwan is just like playing with fire and will get the US burned.” Taiwan's GDP is about 6% that of communist China, with a population of 1.6% of China's. Taiwan's free market has enabled about 4 times the productivity of the communist nation.  American View of China at an All-Time Low The average American's view of China has hit an all-time low, positivity dropping from 53% in 1986 to 26% in the 2024 survey. The Surveys have been conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs since 1978. Majorities of Americans want to limit the growth of China's power, view China as a US rival, and say US-China trade weakens US national security.  Communist China's portion of the World Gross Product has expanded from 2.05% in 1980 to 19% in 2024. The US share of the World Gross Product has remained about the same — around 25%. El Salvador Pressured to Allow Abortion In 2013, an El Salvadoran woman with health problems lost her baby by C-section. She had earlier requested an abortion, but could not get it in a pro-life country. The mother's life was intact, but the case was appealed to a progressive, multinational court called the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR). The court found the government of El Salvador “responsible for violating the American Convention on Human Rights,” and ordered the nation to “amend existing medical protocols” to allow for abortion in similar cases. Remember Those Suffering From Hunger This Christmas, remember those suffering from severe hunger — Haiti, Sudan, South Sudan, Congo, Chad, Niger, and Somalia.  As of October 24, Somalia had “the second-highest undernourishment rate (over 51%), and the third-highest child mortality rate (over 10%)”North Korea has the highest undernourishment rate in the world. Starvation problems have reached 2008-2009 proportions, according to a report from the World Health Organization.  Story of the Author Behind "Silent Night" On December 24, 1818, Father Joseph Mohr of Oberndorf, Austria, was dealing with flooding in his chapel, and a damaged organ. He walked three kilometers to visit his organist friend, Franz Gruber, with a request. . . that he compose a Christmas tune to accommodate 6 verses of a poem he had written two years earlier —- to be accompanied by a simple guitar later that evening. Gruber returned two hours later with the music of a Christmas carol that would be included in almost every Christmas Eve service for the next two hundred years. Silent Night. Holy Night. All is Calm. All is Bright. Round Yon Virgin Mother and Child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Silent night! Holy night!. . . Shepherds quake at the sight! Glories stream from heaven afar, Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia! Christ the Saviour is born! Christ the Saviour is born! A blessed Christmas to our listeners, as we celebrate the birth of the very Son of God, the Savior of the world!  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, December 23rd, in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Ean Leppin feel free to email me contact@eanvoiceit. Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

*) Israel bombs Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza The Israeli army launched a heavy bombardment on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, causing extensive damage, WAFA news agency reported. Medical sources said that the hospital faced intense shelling, including bombs, artillery, and sniper fire, targeting the facility indiscriminately. The assault severely damaged critical infrastructure, including power generators and various hospital departments, further straining Gaza's already overwhelmed healthcare system. *) Pope Francis slams Israel's 'cruelty' after Gaza air strike Pope Francis has renewed his condemnation of Israeli air strikes on Gaza, calling the violence "cruelty" and saying, "This is not war; it touches the heart." The comments follow Israeli air strikes on Friday that killed at least 25 Palestinians and come a day after an Israeli minister criticised the pontiff for suggesting a global inquiry into whether the violence constitutes genocide. Francis addressed the issue during his annual Christmas meeting with Vatican cardinals, highlighting the plight of children in Gaza as a pressing humanitarian concern. *) Trump threatens to demand control of Panama Canal US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to demand the return of control over the Panama Canal to Washington, criticising "unfair fees" imposed on American ships using the vital waterway. Trump also warned of China's increasing influence near the canal, citing its strategic importance for US trade between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. "Our Navy and Commerce have been treated unfairly. The fees are ridiculous," Trump wrote on Truth Social, vowing to end what he called a "rip-off" of the US. *) Pakistan rejects US claims on ballistic missile programme as 'baseless' Pakistan has dismissed claims by a senior US official about its ballistic missile programme, calling them baseless and harmful to bilateral relations. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch described the allegations as "unfounded, devoid of rationality and sense of history." The remarks came in response to US Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer's statement that Pakistan was developing a long-range missile capable of striking targets beyond South Asia, posing an "emerging threat" to the United States. *) Syrian interim government appoints new foreign minister The Syrian Interim Government has appointed Asaad Hassan al Shaibani as its new foreign minister, the ruling General Command announced. Al Shaibani previously led Political Affairs for Idlib's civilian administration, where he managed diplomatic relations with foreign governments and institutions. He also oversaw coordination efforts with UN agencies and international aid organisations during his tenure.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Fabian was in Lebanon last week, where troops have pushed into the “second line of villages,” about 4-5 miles from the border. He describes what he saw and speaks about a briefing he had with a senior Israeli defense official, who told reporters Thursday that there is a substantial chance of Israel reaching a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon. Five Hamas terrorists who participated in the October 7 onslaught were killed in a recent airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Friday, noting that two were commanders who led the massacre and kidnapping of civilians from the Mefalsim area during the brutal attack. Fabian updates us on what is going on inside Gaza right now, even as winter rains are approaching. This morning, Defense Minister Israel Katz said he will not approve the promotion of two officers from the IDF Southern Command until their role in the failures of October 7 are investigated. This comes after IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi announced a new round of senior appointments in the military, including 11 new brigadier generals and four new colonels, as well as six brigadier generals and 19 colonels who are moving to new positions at the same rank. We discuss several of the new appointments and some of the pressures on Katz. Emirati authorities have found the body of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, an emissary to Abu Dhabi's Chabad chapter missing since Thursday, the Prime Minister's Office and Foreign Ministry said in a joint statement Sunday. This is a developing story, but Fabian describes what we know so far. For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog. Discussed articles include: Aiming to enable return of displaced Israelis, IDF pushes deeper into south Lebanon Woman lightly wounded as Hezbollah fires rockets and drones at center, north Defense official says major chance for Lebanon truce after US envoy visits for talks IDF says it killed five Hamas terrorists who led Mefalsim area massacres on Oct. 7 Body of slain Chabad rabbi found in UAE; Israel condemns ‘antisemitic act of terror' Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Lt. Col. Roi Katz, a battalion commander in the 188th Armored Brigade in southern Lebanon, November 20, 2024. (Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. This morning, the Foreign Ministry officially informed the United Nations that Israel is withdrawing from the 1967 agreement recognizing the Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA after the Knesset passed legislation to severely limit the operations of the agency in Israel and in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. We hear about practical implications. A round of talks between Hamas and Fatah officials in Cairo ended with an agreement to establish a technocratic committee composed of independent Palestinian figures to manage the Gaza Strip, according to an unnamed Hamas source quoted by the Qatari-owned paper Al-Araby al-Jadeed. Berman weighs in on the chances of this agreement coming to fruition. Eli Feldstein, a spokesperson working with the Prime Minister's Office, is accused of divulging top-secret information with national security implications to European media outlets, according to a ruling published Sunday evening by Rishon Lezion Magistrate Court head Menahem Mizrahi. The names of three other suspects remain gagged by the court, but it confirmed that they were connected to the defense establishment. Berman examines what we know about the case and how serious the charges are. Touring the northern border on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that whether via a negotiated settlement or military force, Israel will achieve the conditions it needs to restore security to the area and keep the Hezbollah terror group at bay. Relatedly, we're hearing that Iran's president said a potential ceasefire between Israel and its allies Hamas and Hezbollah “could affect the intensity” of Tehran's threatened attack. Could this added pressure see a ceasefire agreement solidify?For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog. Discussed articles include: Israel informs UN that 1967 agreement recognizing UNRWA is void PM spokesman Eli Feldstein suspected of leaking intel that may have hurt hostage efforts Visiting border, PM vows to restore security in north ‘with or without an agreement' Iran said planning to use more powerful weapons in next attack on Israel Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Illustrative: Released hostages and their family members seen after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, outside the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, August 23, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.